


The Boy in Chains

by RosyTintedFlash



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, Bending (Avatar), Drugs, Dubious Consent, Dubious Morality, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Coercion, Multi, Mythology - Freeform, Omega Eren Yeager, Omega Verse, Painful Sex, Physical Abuse, Sexual Assault, Stockholm Syndrome, Unhealthy Relationships, at least not traditional fluff, bender! eren, if you're looking for loads of fluff this prob ain't it, this story ain't gonna be pretty, you'll see what i mean later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-04-25 05:40:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 31
Words: 40,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14372112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosyTintedFlash/pseuds/RosyTintedFlash
Summary: He lived in a hell within a hell. As an Omega, his existence was destined to be a miserable one. He is quickly valued for his beauty, but others recognize something more. Something important. Something most don't know. Differing political powers begin scrambling for the reins over him, desperate for what he has to offer.He could save the world.But who will save him?





	1. Crushed Ambition

It was another day of class. The sun, high in the sky. The grand-scale danger, imminent. But nobody knew that. After all, it had been a hundred years since titans had been an issue. They were practically a myth now. They were joked about. They were parodied. Parents told stories about them to their children, using them as parables in order to inspire obedient behavior— “Don’t stay out too late, or a titan might eat you!”, they’d say. Titans. They were nothing. 

Of course, that was far from true. But while the world-destroying danger of titans loomed, the people of the Walls had issues of their own. _People_ issues. Not nearly as menacing as titans. That’s what normalcy told them, anyway. How can things that are normal be scary? 

Omegas, Betas, and Alphas. Those were the three general categories an Eldian might fall into. At birth, unlike primary gender, secondary gender is not known. It manifests during puberty. Usually. 

There Eren sat. He had just turned fifteen. Thus far, had experienced no obvious signs when it came to secondary gender. Of course, like most, he _hoped_. He hoped to be an Alpha. The gender that dominated. Ruled. Conquered. 

That was not to be the case. 

Although Omegas were rare, they were not what anyone wanted to be. Highly valued, but essentially stripped of personhood. They were nearly always sold for generous amounts of wealth, especially when the parents were poverty stricken. Nobility often kept their Omega kin, serving as an indicator of high class. Why were they worth so much? Aside for obvious physical reasons, nobody really knew. All that is known is that Omegas are usually purchased by either the throne, or the military. Was it as simple as sex? Or was there more to it? Many theories and lore existed amongst the townspeople. But the truth was hardly evident. 

“ _Mr. Yeager_. Daydreaming, are we?”, asked Mr. Lockewood. 

“What?” asked Eren, his eyes jerking from the window to his teacher. 

Mr. Lockewood eyed his student, his expression mildly annoyed. Eren looked to Armin, and then to Mikasa, his eyes panicked. But they could not come to his rescue this time. 

“You haven’t been taking notes, Eren,” he began, “and the test is tomorrow.” Mr. Lockewood gave an exasperated sigh, his fingers tapping the podium. 

“Do I have to contact your parents again?”

“No! No, sir.” Eren straightened his posture and pleaded with the teacher. “I’m sorry. I’ve just been… so tired,” he admitted, truthfully. He let out a labored breath, small sweat beads trickling down his temple. Mr. Lockewood’s eyes narrowed. 

“That excuse only works so often,” he began, “unless, of course… you have a good _reason_.” The man analyzed the boy, scrutinizing his appearance. He took in a deep breath, his nose narrowing. 

Eren froze. 

He wipes his head with his sleeve and noticed that his heart was now palpitating. His body was becoming engrossed with moisture. He notices Mr. Lockewood deeply breathing in and out, his eyes locked onto Eren. A lump forms in the back of the boy's throat. 

The bell rings.

The kids began packing up their school things. Eren erratically gathers his notebook and shoves it into his bag. He jumps to his feet and begins speed-walking to the door. He was stopped by a large, rough hand. 

“Mr. Yeager. I’d like to speak with you.” 

Eren watched as his peers left the room. Mikasa looked to Mr. Lockewood, a confused expression on her face. 

“ _Privately._ ”

After a moment’s hesitation, she looks at Eren, her eyes sympathetic, and slowly leaves the room. 

“Oh, Eren,” he began, his hand massaging the student’s shoulder, “I _know_.”

“Know what, sir?”

“You’re an _Omega_.” 

The lump in Eren’s throat spread to his stomach, nausea radiating throughout his body within an instant. Just like that. 

The hand on his shoulder tightened its grasp.

“You’ve always been a good student. I’ve always loved your spirit, Eren,” continued Mr. Lockewood, a tinge of sadness echoing in his voice.

Tears began welling within the boy’s eyes. 

“You had so much potential. But, I have a duty.”

“No.”

“I’m a mandated reporter for the King, Eren.”

“Please. Don’t.”

The man’s hands slipped to his wrists and he pulled the kid towards his desk, Eren’s weight fiercely leaning towards the opposite direction.

“Mikasa! _Help_ me!” he screamed as the teacher slapped his wrists with handcuffs.

“There’s nothing she can do,” he whispered, yanking the boy to the floor, his body impacting the ground with an audible thump. “There’s nothing any of us can do.” 

He fought back tears, trying his damndest to retain his dignity. 

“I’m sorry,” Mr. Lockewood continues, shoving a needle into his spine.

Eren screams now, quickly disregarding that whole “dignity” thing, his legs kicking as hard as they can. His upper body jerks and he quickly reaches up and bites the traitorous teacher, drawing blood out of pure, wild desperation. He was fighting for his life. The teacher screamed right back, pulling his hand to his mouth and licking the new wound. 

“Okay,” he says under a struggled breath. He raises a fist and punches the now former student square in the face, blood flying across the floor. 

Eren moans in pain and shock, quiet sobs slipping from his lips now. 

“You must be confused,” continues the teacher, “you aren’t a person anymore, Eren. I care about you. But tread lightly…” his eyes stab into the boy’s crumpling body, “you’re nothing but an animal now.”

Silent tears ooze from Eren’s eyes and he gives up fighting. He doesn’t have a 

choice. 

The drug was quickly taking effect and his limbs were numb. His vision was becoming too blurry to properly evaluate the surroundings and his body reduced to puddy, but he knows the teacher is on top of him. His body becomes unbearably hot, his lungs having to work harder and harder to pump invaluable oxygen throughout his parched veins. Was he being strangled to death? He considers the possibility that his life ends right here and now, and slowly becomes delighted in the realization that he doesn’t care, the drug gently snuggling him like a soft, warm blanket. His senses are soon completely oblivious to reality and he succumbs to the darkness. 

He welcomes it. 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

 

“Mr. Smith, you really need to see this one.” 

Erwin looks to his subordinate, his eyes attempting to feign interest. He puts his pen down and smiles. 

“You know I’m all work. No play,” he says with a wink. “I have to get this paperwork done. You know a big venture is ahead of us shortly.”

“Yes, sir. I know,” he replies, dragging a boy, one hand on his shirt collar, the other grasping his frazzled, brown hair. The boy’s eyes are slightly open, drool slithering down his chin. 

“Vince, do you have to drag him like that? It’s undignified,” he comments, his voice annoyed. “The government paid a lot of money for him, I’m sure.”

“This one is worth a fortune,” he says with a smirk, plopping the kid’s body onto the floor infront of his superior. “Apparently his teacher turned the kid in. Noticed his fever and cashed him in without a second thought.”

Erwin sighs and stands, slowly striding towards his worker. 

“I told you, I’m busy…” he begins, but doesn’t finish. He looks at the boy on the ground.

“Holy _shit_.”

“I told you,” says Vince, smiling. 

“Did the king even look at him before he sent him to the Survey Corps?”

“I’m betting not.”

Erwin walked up to the boy, leaning down to his level. He grabbed him by the chin, saliva dripping down his fingers. His eyes were glossy and half covered by eyelids, his face hot to the touch and steaming. Erwin shamelessly shoved a hand down the backside of the kid’s pants, his eyes focused. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. 

“He isn’t in heat,” he confirms, slowly pulling his hand from the boy’s clothes, his fingers scrutinizing the Omega’s skin as they pull out. Vince frowned, letting out a sigh. 

“That’s too bad,” he began. “Want me to coax it?” He licks his lips and looks to Erwin. 

“Nobody is touching him,” he states in an authoritative tone. He brings his hand to the boy’s face, gently rubbing his cheek with his thumb. “I want you to chain him up. I want chains on his arms, feet, and neck. Lock him in a secure place.”

Vince is baffled. 

“Why, sir? Don’t you think the men need some morale boosting?”

“What’s his name.”

“Huh?”

“His name,” he repeats, daggers in his eyes as he looks to Vince. “What. is. it.” Vince gulps and tries to back away without it being noticeable.

“It’s Eren.”


	2. The Cause

 

Eren was lying on a dingy bed in a small, grey cell. The walls were built with large rocks and there was a small trace of light spouting from a tiny crack in the wall in an otherwise dark, dreary room. His eyes were open, and he was beginning to take in his new surroundings. He vaguely heard two low, muffled voices talking back and forth in what sounded like an unworldly language. He almost recognized the words, but his hearing struggled to make sense of them. His eyes fought to put the puzzle pieces of the location together. Was he in jail?

 

“ So… duty calls, I guess,” said Levi, a fisted hand rising to the air above his head. 

“No.” 

 

Erwin grabbed Levi’s arm, pulling it downward. Levi’s face scrunched in confusion.

 

“You told me to beat the shit out of him.”

 

“Yes. But not until he’s completely conscious.”

 

“I didn’t realize you were so sadistic, Erwin,” mumbled Levi, his expression seemingly bored but filled with judgement. 

 

“He has to be awake and responsive,” replied Erwin, his hand reaching to the heavy steel chain wrapped around the boy’s small, fragile wrist. 

 

“You said that, but you haven’t told me _why_.” Levi circled the bed, his eyes studying the poor kid. “And really. These chains. Is this necessary?” he asked, trailing a finger along the metal clasp trapping the kid’s neck. He pulled his hand to his eyes, rubbing his fingers together, tiny specs of dust falling to the ground. “Ugh.”

 

“He needs to be heavily restrained.”

 

“Oh, yeah?” he asked, his tone critical, “He gonna fuckin’ dice us up with that small, eight year old Omega body?” Levi scoffed. Erwin smiled, a tiny, inaudible laugh puffing through his nose. “This doesn’t feel right, Erwin. I never signed up for this shit.”

 

“No. You didn’t.” 

 

“Why this one? We haven’t tried this in ages. I thought you gave up.”

 

“This is Grisha’s boy.” Erwin gently brushed the kid’s hair away from his hazy, dilated eyes, studying his face, a pensive expression. “If it’s anybody, it’s him.” He walked towards the door of the cell, his head facing away from Levi. “Give him a few more hours,” he instructed, not turning his head to face the corporal. He hesitated for a moment, then quietly exited the room. 

 

Levi gave a dejected sigh and sat on the edge of Eren’s rusty, squeaky bed. He gazed into the kid’s unsettled eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s for the cause,” he said, a hint of remorse in his voice. He pulled a damp rag from his pocket and dabbed away bits of sweat and dirt from the boy’s face, motioning his hand in tiny, gentle circles. Even when the kid’s eyes were dead, they still managed to retain vague, but unmistakable fire in them. Levi wondered what he would have been like if he was born an Alpha, like him. Would he become a soldier? Would they have been comrades? He drew the rag from his chin, down the neck, to the collarbone, still picking up sweat and dirt. His free hand is rested on the kid’s neck, a finger lightly grazing his adam’s apple. Kneeling, he nuzzles his nose into the pungent, sensitive area of his neck, a deep inhale following soon after. His teeth clinch and he quickly snaps back up, stepping down from the bed, his breathing audible and slightly erratic. 

 

He isn’t sure he’ll be able to do this. 

 

Eren’s head turned towards the man, his eyes making out only a dark, fuzzy shadow. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, his tongue heavy and dry. His mind was beginning to function again, but it still had much recovering to do. Levi’s eyes widen at the sight of the kid moving for the first time since he’d seen him. 

 

_No, no, no. Don’t wake up_ , thought Levi. He swallowed and steadied his breathing as he quietly made his way to the door. He turned to look at the kid one more time before leaving, and his heart aches. 

 

Eren’s head was slowly turning to where Levi now stood, clearly struggling to control his own neck. He looked at the man standing by the door and now, he could tell that he was real. Made of flesh. He wasn’t imagining him. 

 

Levi forced his eyes away from the kid and opened the cell, his stomach dropping and his confidence waning. _For the cause,_ he thought to himself.

 

And he left. 

 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

“Mikasa!” Armin waved and darted over to his dark haired friend, greeting her with a genuine smile. She looked at him and titled her head, a sense of urgency apparent. 

 

“I can’t find him.”

 

“When’s the last time you saw him?” he immediately asked, smile gone. 

“In class. With Mr. Lockewood. He took him. I know he did.” Armin lowered his head into his hands and drooped to his knees. 

 

“We should have done something a long time ago,” he began, his voice uneven and quiet, “The second we smelled it on him. The very damn _second_.” 

 

“I’ll get him back if it kills me,” she said, mirroring Armin on the ground. 

 

“It should have been me. I should have been the Omega. This just makes no damn sense,” he said, burying his face further into his hands, tears running down his wrists. 

 

“Hannes.”

 

Armin sniffed, his puffy face slowly lifting itself from his hands. 

 

“ _Hannes_.”

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

The sun had set, and Eren was awake. He was sweating profusely now, and the heavy chains and stuffy cell only made things worse. He could hardly move. He was so thirsty that he could hardly think of anything else. He couldn’t even cry. 

 

“Hello, Eren,” a deep, confident voice echoed as a small silhouette became bigger and bigger, until a tall, intimidating blond man stood right outside the cell. “Glad to finally have you with us.” 

 

“Where…”

 

“The Survey Corps Omega facility.” 

 

Eren gulped and looked away from the man. So this was going to be his life now. 

 

He began crying without tears. 

 

“Don’t cry,” said the man, unlocking the door, “You are incredibly important, Eren. You have my utmost respect.” He walked to the bed and eyed the kid’s body. His expression was unreadable. “I’m sorry for your suffering. But sometimes suffering is necessary,” he robotically states and lifts the Omega’s shirt, his fingers becoming doused in moisture. “Are you in pain?”

 

Eren nods. 

 

“Your smell is strong,” he says, a light smile appearing. “If this doesn’t work, I will keep you.”

 

“I’m a person. I’m human. Please. Let me go,” Eren finally speaks for the first time since being captive. His voice is gravely and weak. 

 

“A person?” Erwin’s smile grows indignant. “No. You aren’t.” 

 

Before he could say anything else, three more figures appear at the cell. Two men and a woman. 

 

“Hange. Will it work if he’s on the brink of heat?” Erwin asks. 

 

“That shouldn’t have any effect on the outcome,” she replies, her hands tensely clutching the metal bars. She steadies her glasses and looks at the boy. “Oh, you sweet thing,” she begins, her voice sorry, “Thank you for your sacrifice.” 

 

Eren’s eyes darted wide open, his back arched as much as possible beneath the tight, heavy chains. 

 

“Sacrifice?” he tried to scream but only a small whisper escapes him. 

 

She and the two men approach. One man is familiar and small. The other is huge and foreign. 

 

“Mike, Levi, Get him upright. But don’t remove the chains. Make sure they are secure.” Erwin steps back towards the wall of the cell as Levi and the other man pull on large, wooden levers that lift the bed to a vertical position, the boy’s body shifting along with it. 

 

“Shhh, you won’t die,” says Hange, a notebook in hand, her other hand ready with a pen. “Probably.”

 

“Are you sure about this?” asks Levi. 

 

“Do you trust me?” counters Erwin.

 

Levi lets out a pained sigh. 

 

“Yes.”


	3. Experiment 7: Eren Yeager

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: If anything in the tags is triggering for you, do not read on.

“Commander Erwin!” shouted an exasperated voice, “Sir! The titans have breached Wall Maria!”

 

The people in the cell halt their actions and for a moment, all are frozen. Except Erwin. 

 

“Thank you, Nanaba. Go ready the Vanguard immediately,” says the large, blond man. His subordinates in the cell began quickly shuffling to the door. “You aren’t leaving.” Hange nods and backtracks to her previous position, followed by Mike. Levi looks as if he’s just seen a ghost. 

 

“What? You want to do this _now_?” he asks. 

“It’s more important now than ever,” states Erwin, apprehension hiding in his voice. “Continue the experiment.”

 

Everyone stares at the Commander. After a beat, Mike, trying his best to keep the reality of the news on the back burner, approaches a shell shocked Eren. 

 

“Titans?” he says, talking to himself more than his captors. Finally, a tear is forced down his cheek. 

 

It’s Mike who assaults him first, his large fist slamming into his stomach. Eren lets out an airy, voiceless grunt, saliva pooling to the sides of his mouth. The pain takes a moment to register, and, for the first time, he lets out a voiced moan, his neck falling frontward, eyes to the ground. Mike yanks his head up by his hair and a fist flies into the kid’s nose. The blood doesn’t hesitate; it instantly floods through each nostril, the impact leaving Eren dazed. 

 

“This must make you angry,” interrupts Erwin, stepping forward, “Huh, Eren?” 

 

_Why is he taunting me_ , thought Eren. He was in disbelief at the evil a group he looked up to was capable of. He turned his head to the Commander, pure rage forming in his large, teal eyes. 

Erwin smiled. 

 

Levi lunged a foot into the boy’s ribs, a serious, emotionless expression now worn on his face. Eren cried out and choked on the air his lungs are trying to inhale. He isn’t given time to recover. Mike’s hands are wrapped around his neck, just above the chain, and he constricts the boy’s windpipes. Eren’s eyes are soon bloodshot and he feels himself growing faint, his skin turning shades of blue and purple. _They’re killing me._ He was now sure of it. 

 

“Mike!” shouts Levi, “That’s enough.” He looks to Erwin, a cold expression on the Commander’s face. “It isn’t working. Stop before we kill him.” 

 

Mike releases Eren’s neck and he desperately swallows in air, his stomach turning and twisting until he vomits. Levi walks up to the boy and places a hand, surprisingly gentle, under his chin, turning it upward. 

 

“We’re beating him for nothing,” states the corporal, “It isn’t him, Erwin. If it was, he would have killed every one of us by now.” Levi looks at Eren and feels sick. The kid’s body was shaking and his stomach tried to reject more of its contents but nothing but thin lines of bile came out. 

 

“I don’t think it’s him, either,” says Hange, “I’m not for this kind of abuse if it’s all for naught. We’re needed in Maria anyway, Erwin.”

 

Erwin stepped forward towards Eren and looked into his eyes. He had never seen such pure, hot hatred. He ruffled the boy’s hair which did nothing but piss him off even more. “Vince.”

 

“Sir” asked the soldier waiting outside the cell. 

 

“Clean this Omega up and put him with the others.”

 

“Yes, sir!”

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

 

“Man, they really fucked you up,” said Vince, Eren thrown over his shoulder. “Such a pretty face, too. Now it’s all bloody and bruised up.” His hand squeezed the boy’s ass, followed by a finger pushing in over his pants.Vince hummed happily. “I’ll still find a use for you, though.” 

 

When they got to the showers, Vince dropped the boy onto the ground. Eren immediately began struggling to stand, but he couldn’t. He moaned in pain as he frantically fought to move and Vince leaned down to his level. “Let’s get your mind off of that,” he said, rolling him onto his stomach. He unbuttoned his own pants and hungrily reached for Eren’s, but was surprised by an elbow to the face. He winced and pinned the boy to the ground with his large body, his hand holding the kid’s elbow down.“Time to learn some respect, Omega,” said Vince, now angry. “I was going to be gentle, but I guess that isn’t your thing.”

 

“I’ll kill you.”

 

“What?” asked Vince, humored. 

 

“I’ll fucking kill you!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, his head easily pushed face down into the ground by his new captor. 

 

“You’re cute when you’re mad,” he said, sliding the boy’s pants down his backside. With zero preparation or wait time, Vince attempted to ram his length into Eren’s opening, but Eren’s heat had been biologically halted due to the physical abuse, so there was no give when it came to moisture, and he slipped out. Eren screamed out for help, though he knew it was pointless. “Not wet for me, huh? That’s a shame,” said Vince, licking his fingers. He roughly shoved two into Eren’s opening and fingered up and down at a quick pace, his dick now pulsating in arousal. Eren yelled in pain, his voice muffled by the ground. His body gave the last bit of fight that it had and tried to roll over, but it was no use. He was weak. Too weak. Too pained. Too _broken_. 

 

The door to the showers suddenly slammed open and a man darted towards the two. He pulled Vince off of Eren and kneed the assaulter in the face. 

 

It was Levi. 

 

“Get out of here before I murder you,” he said to the soldier reeling on the floor. 


	4. A Stranded Boat

Eren woke up in big tub filled halfway with warm water. He didn’t remember when he lost consciousness or how he got here. Where even was _here_? The room was small and gray; he felt sick at the realization that the walls resembled the walls from the cell he was in earlier. He looked down at the water; it was a shade of pink from the blood he lost. 

 

“Hey,” said Levi as he walked into the room, “I’m glad you’re awake.” 

 

Eren’s heart went from 10 to 100 in an instant and he quickly pulled his body to a sitting position, trying and failing to get to his feet, the water splashing all around him. Levi stepped back and put his hands in the air.

 

“I’m not going to lay a finger on you. Calm down or I wont be able to help.” He gave Eren a stern look and lowered his hands as the kid stopped struggling. “I didn’t undress you, for the record. A female Omega did it. I just came to bring you some clothes,” he said, tossing a folded shirt and pair of pants to the ground. 

 

Eren looked at the clothes and then to Levi. He actually laughed. 

 

“What’s funny?” asked Levi, his eyes narrowing. 

 

“Oh, I was just thinking about what a great deed this is.” Eren shot the man a dirty look and began surveying his wounds, gently rubbing them with the warm water. 

 

“What?”

 

“You can sleep well tonight. You saved a poor, pathetic Omega from a rapist. From one abuser to the next. Am I supposed to grovel at your feet in gratitude now?” 

 

“Eren, I don’t know how you were raised or where exactly you come from. But I can tell you one thing.” He slowly stepped up to the tub, his expression darkening. “You will get _nowhere_ talking to an Alpha like that.”

 

“Right. Like I was really going places before,” he mumbled, too exhausted to give a damn anymore. “What could be worse than being beaten to death?” 

 

Levi paused, staring at his feet. “You’d be surprised.” He sighed and grabbed the rag from his pocket and dipped it in the water. Eren scowled at the man as he began washing his shoulders.

 

“Thought you weren’t going to touch me.” 

 

“Just shut up.” Levi lightly dragged the wet rag up and down his shoulder blades, then along his neck. The hair on his body stood up as he brushed over Eren’s scent gland and the boy’s body jerked in surprise at how electrifying it felt. “Sorry,” he whispered. He brought the rag to the dried blood on the boy’s face and rubbed it off, a confused expression forming on Levi’s face. 

 

“What?”

 

Levi had noticed that the kid’s wounds had started healing at an abnormally quick rate. He slowly turned his head to the boy’s face and gazed into his eyes. “Nothing.” Eren eyed him suspiciously and looked to the dirty water. 

 

“How much pain are you in?”

 

“I…” he began, “I guess it’s not as bad as it could be. It isn’t nearly as bad as earlier.” Levi continued washing his upper body, no sounds but the calming ones of the dripping water echoing in the room. A minute passed before the silence was broken. 

 

“I see.”

 

__________________________________________________________________________

 

“Welcome. We are happy to have you here! I’m Krista,” said a small blonde Omega. “Boy, you look like you could use some food and water. And then maybe a ten hour nap.”

 

Eren was now in a community styled living area where the Survey Corps’ Omegas were stored. It was actually kind of nice; nothing like the cell he woke up in the day before. The walls were colorful shades of pink, blue, and purple and there were nice, comfy looking chairs spread throughout the common room. He could see multiple doors in the building with names on them which he assumed belonged to individual Omegas. 

 

“Come here, sweetie,” coaxed Krista and she lead him to the kitchen. “Our cook made bread and fried chicken earlier. I’ll fix you a plate.” He stared as she pulled the food from the ice box and plopped two chicken legs and a piece of bread onto a crystal plate. She sat the plate on the kitchen table and went to poor him a glass of water. 

 

“Water.”

 

Krista looked back to Eren and nodded, hurrying to him with the water in hand. He grabbed it and gulped without a single breath until the glass was empty. As if on cue, she brought a second glass of water. “I… I don’t know what happened to you. But,” she placed a hand on his shoulder, “you’re safe now,” she said in a comforting voice, a sympathetic smile following right after. 

 

“Safe? _Safe_?” He slapped her hand away and slammed the glass on the table. “We’re _prisoners_.”

 

“I understand you’re upset. But, Eren,” she began, “we are no more prisoners than anybody else. We all have our roles in life.”

 

“You call getting fucked and beaten for a living a _role_?”

 

“They only beat us if we are disobedient,” she quickly corrected. 

 

“Yeah. Like a _dog_.” He huffed and kicked the wall. “Oh, and by the way? You’re wrong. I got beaten to hell and back for no reason at all.”

 

Another blonde girl slammed her bedroom door open. “What’s going on?”

 

“Hey, Annie. I’m just trying to help the new Omega feel welcome here.” The second girl looked completely disinterested and didn’t even bother hanging around for more information, her door slamming shut as suddenly as it had opened. “She isn’t a morning person,” said Krista, laughing. Eren was in disbelief. Why the hell was this girl so damn content with being a _slave_? He crumpled to the floor and took a fetal position. 

 

“Look. Eren,” she said, a serious tone, “Now isn’t the time to be defiant, or to prove a point. I’m sure you heard titans have breached Maria. The soldiers. They need us.”

 

“And raping defenseless Omegas helps them because….”

 

“It isn’t rape!” she shouts, her composure dwindling. “They love us…”

 

“You’re insane,” he stated, his voice breaking into light sobs. “I’ll never be like you. I’ll never just _take it_ like you do!” She burst into tears at that and ran to her room, the door slammed shut. 

 

“You don’t get it, do you?” an unidentified voice asked, another door creeping open. The name on it read _Ymir_. He sat up and wiped his tears as the third girl approached him, this one tall with brown hair. “You think we don’t know what the situation actually is? You think you’re this brilliant thinker who solved the elaborate puzzle?” She leaned down, her face directly across from his. “This is a game of _survival_. You do what you have to do. You believe what you _need_ to believe.”

 

“I… ”

 

“Don’t talk to her like that anymore. Newsflash, Eren. We’re all in the same boat. You just haven’t given up thinking you can swim to shore yet.”

 


	5. The Scientist's Son

A few days passed. The Omega living facility was quiet lately; everyone was getting used to the new room mate and tried not to step on his toes. Ymir and Krista had discussed him in great detail and concluded that he was in a state of shock and denial, so they wouldn’t hold his outburst against him. The girls were cozied against each other on one of the big chairs, Ymir’s hands gingerly threading through Krista’s hair.

 

“You are a magical little thing, you know that?” said Ymir, her voice low and sultry. Krista’s faced reddened and she nuzzled her head further into the other girl’s neck. Ymir’s hand cradled the small Omega’s hand, giving it a squeeze. 

 

“You stupid whores. Can’t wait for the next dick so you have to rub up against each other,” said an approaching man, his speech airy and labored. The girls immediately jumped away from each other and Krista pulled herself to her feet. 

 

“Uh, sorry. I didn’t see you there. Are you needing any servi…” she began but was interrupted by the arrival of several other Alphas. They were breathing heavily and their pupils enlarged. “Ymir, is Annie in heat?” she asked in a shakey voice. Usually the facility had multiple Beta body guards to manage patrons, services, and to ensure the Omegas were safe. But since the breach, guards were not guaranteed. At the moment, there were no guards around at all. 

 

“No.” They both turned their heads to Eren’s room and then looked to each other, panicked. 

 

“Mmmm. I smell a male. When’s the last time the Corps had a male Omega?” asked one of the men. 

 

“It’s been years,” replied a woman. “Thank the Walls for such a treat.”

 

“We deserve it. We survived the first battle,” another chimed in, all of them following the scent to a room that had no name listed. “He’s here.”

 

Krista and Ymir watched helplessly as five or six soldiers stormed Eren’s room. 

 

“What do we do?” asked Krista who was hiding behind the taller girl.

 

“There isn’t anything we can do. Except stay out of the way.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

The soldiers found the source of the overwhelming scent flooding the Survey Corps headquarters in the nameless room. Eren was laying on the floor, his mind hopelessly cloudy and his body overwhelmingly restless. He had a crazed look in his eyes and his breathing was loud and erratic. A pool of moisture outlined his body on the floor. 

“ _Fuck_.” The largest Alpha wasted no time in ripping the boy’s shirt off. He ran a tongue over Eren’s hard nipples, biting down on them after lapping up the precious taste. The next most dominant Alpha followed soon behind him and pulled the kid’s pants off and then his underwear. He shoved a finger up Eren’s ass and moaned, his dick instantly stiffly erect beneath his pants. 

 

“He’s fucking drenched. I need him now,” said the second Alpha, unzipping his pants. The first Alpha was sucking on his neck now, right on the scent gland. Eren’s back instinctively arched and tears welled as he wailed out. 

 

“There you go, sweetheart. You like when daddy sucks there?” he said in a husky tone, a finger tracing the saliva spooling around the boy’s lips. 

 

“Please. Get off me.” The two Alphas looked to each other and smiled. 

 

“You say that now, sweet boy,” said the second Alpha, “But you’ll like it soon.”He shoved four fingers up his ass and moved them around in small circles. Eren moaned in a confused mixture of pain and pleasure, a million different emotions and feelings flooding his brain. “That’s a promise.”

 

“Sorry, gentlemen. But this one is mine.”

 

The six Alphas in the room swiftly turned their heads to the abrupt voice coming through the door. 

 

It was Erwin. 

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

“Captain Levi!” 

 

A tall man with reddish blond hair trotted to the small Alpha. Levi had death written all over his face; the fighting over the last few days had taken a serious toll on him and he was hardly in the mood to talk to someone from the Garrison. 

 

“Who are you?” asked Levi, his tone flat. 

 

“Call me Hannes. Look. I think you have a new Omega that belongs to me. I’m sure of it, actually.” Levi cocked an eyebrow. 

 

“We’ve only gotten one new Omega recently and I can promise you that you could never afford him.”

 

“ _Him_. So you do have Eren,” he said, hurt in his eyes. “How is he?” Levi hesitates. 

“He’s fine.” The captain starts pacing away from Hannes but is stopped when he steps ahead and blocks him. Levi sighs and crosses his arms. “I don’t have time for this.” He walks around the man and continues on the path. 

 

“You know,” said Hannes, “I was pretty close with his father. He was always commended for his doctor practices, but… I always thought he was an even better scientist.” 

 

Levi stops. 

 

“Not good enough to keep himself alive.”

 

“No,” replies Hannes, “but at least he had the foresight to leave behind a son.”

 

Levi turned around and faced him. His brows furrow but he says nothing. 

 

“It’d be too bad if the Crown found out you have him… wouldn’t it, captain?” 

 

“What do you want?” 

 

Hannes takes a deep breath and shoots Levi a cold look. 

 

“Let me see him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and kudos! :)


	6. Desperate Measures

Erwin brought Eren to his office where Mike was waiting. The boy was in excruciating pain— heat was not pleasant for Omegas unless alleviated with several climaxes daily, the symptoms lasting for about a week, typically. Although masturbation could and does help, only the sexual fluids from another person, combined with penetration, has significant effect in treating pain and discomfort. Despite the obvious physical needs, the last thing he wanted from any of his captors was sex; even if it meant unbearable pain. 

 

He was already disgusted with himself for finding pleasure in the two Alphas dominating him. His own body betraying the morals and dignity he was so passionate about holding onto was something he’d feel ashamed of for his entire life. The idea of this going even further, and, becoming a regular occurrence, were things he knew he wouldn’t be able to live with for much longer. He would escape one way or another. Whether through breaking out of that damn facility or, if it came down to it, through death. 

 

“So. You look pretty good for someone who had broken bones, contusions, and bruises only a few days ago.” Erwin had the kid in handcuffs and he was laying on the floor, still naked, panting in a painful arousal. “You know, Eren, it’d be nice if you’d stop playing dumb.” 

 

Mike walked over to Eren and pulled him up to the knees by his hair so he was able to face Erwin. The Commander nodded to his subordinate and Mike pulled out a large syringe. He gave the artery in Eren’s neck a few hard thumps before inserting the needle. Erwin watched as the serum went in and the blood came out, his eyes focused. Mike quickly rapped a bandage around the wound to stop blood any more from oozing out. With that, he let go of Eren’s hair and the boy found that he could suddenly sit up on his own. 

 

“It’s a heat blocker. It’ll curb your symptoms for almost a day,” said Erwin, taking a seat in the chair behind his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a large, ratty towel and tossed it to Eren. “Sorry, but that’s all I have at the moment.” Mike uncuffed him, keeping as silent as ever. The boy stared into space for a minute, taking in the noticeable transition the chemicals in his brain were undergoing before mindlessly picking up the towel. He looked at the dark green fabric and as soon as his hands could function again, he pulled it over his back, wrapping the front around his neck like a cloak. 

 

“You’re exactly who I thought you were,” began Erwin. Eren raised his head, eyes tiredly gazing at the Commander. “From now on, you will be treated the way you deserve. With respect and adoration.” The boy’s eyes narrowed. 

 

“If this is your idea of foreplay, it isn’t working.” A small grin creeped up on Erwin’s face, his eyes glimmering. 

 

“No foreplay. Your heat is controlled. For now.” He walked from his desk to Eren and gently grazed his cheek with a thumb.“You really are beautiful. I regret what we had to do to you a few days ago.” Eren cringed at the Commander’s touch. 

 

“Fuck your regret.”

“You have a right to be angry. But it was the only way to know for sure. I sincerely apologize for the trauma. I promise you when I say it was for the good of mankind.” Eren was getting pissed. This guy was making no sense at all. “If you would have just told us about your power, we wouldn’t have needed to hurt you. But you had no reason to trust us; so, I’m afraid physical force was necessary.”

 

“What the fuck are you talking about? _Power_?” Erwin’s expression was less than amused. 

 

“There is no use in pretending anymore. With what’s going on in Paradise, it’s time to forgo any nonsense and start working together. I bet we have the same goal. Or do you want your friends and family to perish?”

 

“Shut the fuck up! _Now_. Don’t even start talking about my loved ones in the same breath that you spout insane bullshit about _powers_ and _pretending,”_ he was yelling, face reddening. Erwin’s eyes widened. 

 

“You… you don’t know.” He looked over at Mike who shrugged and then back to Eren. Was he really in the dark? Or was he lying? 

 

Eren was seconds away from pointlessly attacking the Commander when a knock on the door stopped him. Levi and Hannes didn’t wait for a response and opened the door. Tears immediately flooded Eren’s face, his breathing unsteady and his body shaking. Hannes darted to him and leaned down, wasting no time in wrapping his arms around the teenager he had looked after since early childhood. He had always felt responsible for his wellbeing since his father died. 

 

“I’m so sorry. I’m _so_ damn sorry,” he said, his voice breaking, pulling the kid in tight. Eren’s face was buried onto the man’s shoulder, soaking his shirt in tears; he couldn’t speak— all he could do was cry. Hannes noticed the blanket wrapped around the boy’s bare body and how sweaty his hair was as his hand brushed through it, attempting to comfort him. His eyes scanned the room without moving his neck, first meeting Mike’s gaze and then falling to Erwin. He furrowed his brow while staring at the Commander head on. “You Scouts sure keep things classy, eh Erwin?”

 

“I gave no one permission to enter my office.”

 

“We have a situation,” said Levi, flooded with guilt as he looked at the two embracing on the floor. 

 

“We can discuss it privately, then.”

 

“No. It has to be now. And the Garrison soldier stays.”

 

___________________________________________________________________________

In exchange for keeping quiet about Eren’s whereabouts, Hannes was allowed to take Eren outside the Facility and talk, as long as they kept within reasonably close range of the building. It was promised that he would be able to visit him once a week. 

 

But Hannes had no intention in sticking to the agreement. He couldn’t bear leaving him at that place. It was obvious to him that Erwin and the other man had raped him before he had arrived. He had to get him out of here immediately. 

 

As soon as he and Eren were outside, he made a mad bolt with the boy in his arms and didn’t look back. 

 

Unfortunately for them, Erwin had already predicted this exact scenario. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think Eren's power is? It might not be what you expect...


	7. The Spark in his Eyes

They made it. They made it out of the facility. Hannes knew it was too easy, but for now, he would cherish the fleeting time he had with Eren, knowing that he was safe. He knew better than to take him to his mother’s house, and his house probably wouldn’t be a much better option, so he took him to the house of the only soldier he trusted: Keith Sadies. 

Hannes lead Eren into the soldier’s home; he was still wrapped up in the green towel, shivering from the cold. They were met with the welcome of a warm, crackling fire, and there were two loaves of bread sitting on a plate by the mantel. Eren looked around and saw some blankets heftier than the one he had sitting on a chair and piled them around his freezing body before sitting down by the fire, hugging his legs, head resting on his knees. 

He couldn’t even begin to process everything that happened to him over the last few days. 

“I’m going to make some hot tea to warm you up. I’m sure Keith has some,” said Hannes, walking over to the cupboard. Inside he found several bottles of empty vodka, sighing. After a little searching, he found some tea leaves and put them in a pot of water. He grabbed it and headed to the fire to boil the water, and noticed that Eren had already fallen asleep. The thought of how much abuse Eren had likely already gone through made his stomach turn. He realized that this was almost certainly the first time since he was captured that he had drifted to sleep knowing he wasn’t in danger.

Except he was in danger. They both were now. At any second the Survey Corps could track them down and kill them both. 

But at least Eren wasn’t alone. 

A few hours passed with Eren out cold. Hannes had been nervously peeking out the window every few minutes but was beginning to get sleepy himself. He finally let himself relax a bit and leaned his back against a wall, feeling content that the kid was getting some peace and rest. He shut his eyes, a faint smile on his face. 

“So you’re here,” said Keith, quickly opening and shutting the door. Hannes jumped and Eren stirred.

“Jesus, Keith! You scared the hell out of me.” Hannes stood up and put a hand over his heart. “God, give me a heart attack why don’t ya?”

“He won’t be able to stay here long. It’s too dangerous.” Hannes’s heart sank, but Eren was becoming pretty used to bad news by now. “But I think the information I have might make things a lot easier.” 

“About his condition?” Hannes looked to Eren who was rubbing his eyes, yawning. 

“Yes.”

“Hey, guys. I’m right here,” mumbled Eren, sleepy and irritable. “Oh, and you can call the ‘condition’ what it really is. I’m an Omega. And I already know everything about it. Probably too much. But thanks.”

“Your dad did something to you, Eren,” replied Keith, his tone serious. “Odds are, you don’t remember. But when you were really little, your father injected you with some sort of chemically altered fluid.” 

“What?” Eren’s face scrunched in confusion. Surely his father wouldn’t use his own son as experiment fodder. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Did he make me into an Omega? Is that what the fluid was for?”

“No. But he did hope you would be one.”

“Why would anybody hope for that?”

“Because,” started Keith, taking a seat by the fire, “the serum only becomes active with Omega DNA.”

“What did he do to me?” 

“Your father believed in fighting fire with fire. Element against element. He wouldn’t tell me everything, but in retrospect, it’s obvious to me that he knew titans would break through the Walls soon. I also think he knew a whole lot about the titans themselves. What they are, where they come from. For some reason, he kept quiet.”

“Please, while I’m young. What did he do to me? What’s wrong with me?”

Keith pulled out a piece of folded paper from his pocket and opened it. He handed it to Eren. It had four symbols on it that Eren was not familiar with. 

“Okay. So… what does this mean?”

“He didn’t tell me. He just gave it to me and said it would be important for you one day. Right before he mysteriously vanished.” Eren’s eyes narrowed.

“Who killed him?”

“I think someone who didn’t like what he knew.”

“How do we figure out what this message means?”

“There’s only one person who might be able to figure it out. Her name is Section Commander Hange.”

“Oh, great,” says Eren, tilting his head towards the ceiling. 

“What?” asked Keith. 

“We’re fucked.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________

 

“Well, I guess you’re aware that they’re both gone,” said Levi.

“Yes.” Levi gave Erwin a suspicious look.

“And I guess you probably let them do that on purpose.” Erwin smiled, sitting his pen down. “Why?”

“Seemed like a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone,” said the Commander. 

“Stop with the cryptic shit. Be straight with me. What the fuck is going on, Erwin?” 

“We’ll have Eren back before his heat blockers wear off, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Levi looked painfully offended. 

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It’s not a difficult equation to solve. You’re a gay Alpha and he’s a male Omega. Of course you’re interested in him.” Levi was scowling now, growing frustrated. Erwin was 99% sure he was blushing, too; a rare site to behold. “And I’m going to let you get your piece. But just you, nobody else. After me, of course.” 

“I’m not interested in the damn kid, for fuck’s sake! You keep him. He’s an annoying little brat that wouldn’t know respect if it punched him in the face.” That’s better than all those scum bags having their way with him, thought Levi. “But, how are you going to get him to do what you want if you’re fucking him? He clearly wants to kill you.”

“Mmmmm. Sounds nice.” Levi’s eye twitched, his hands balling into fists. Erwin really was a prick sometimes. 

“And by the way, I have yet to witness a single power other than his quick healing. Other than that, he’s as weak as a baby goddamn bird,” snapped the captain. 

“I’m fairly sure he has a lot of potential to be quite destructive, actually. You didn’t see it.”

“See what?”

“You know that I don’t completely know what his father gifted him with. The Doctor’s papers Hange went out of her way to get her hands on and analyze only read of creating an incredibly powerful Omega and that pain would serve as the catalyst. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed when nothing happened after we beat him in that cell. But… earlier, when Mike and I were talking to him in my office… he got so mad, Levi. It was subtle, but it was there. He wanted to destroy me. His lovely, bright blue-green eyes were drained of their color and it happened. Right before you and Hannes intruded, he opened his mouth, and I saw it.”

Levi was listening attentively, a tinge of hope filling him. 

“What was it? What did you see?” he asked, his heart pounding now. 

“Fire,” Erwin finally answered. “Small sparks of fire.”


	8. The Proposal

“Eren. It’s really you. You made it out.” Mikasa and Armin had been told by Hannes that if he succeeded in busting him out, this would be their location. They had both tried not to get their hopes up— they knew that not only might they not make it, they could lose their lives trying to escape. Their opponents was the toughest branch of the military, after all. The relief the two felt at seeing Eren alive and in what appeared to be good health was palpable.Mikasa took off the scarf he had given her years before and wrapped it around his neck, tears running down her cheeks. “Hold onto this for me for a while. You need it more than me right now,” she said, pulling him into a tight hug. “I failed you.”

 

“Mikasa, I’m okay. And there was nothing you could have done,” he replied, his face burried into her neck as she gently rubbed his back. His heart began thumping a little quicker and a little louder, a side effect of being so close to an Alpha while on the cusp of heat, even if it was currently chemically repressed. This time, though, he wasn’t scared. Mikasa was his greatest protector and friend. 

 

“Eren,” she quietly muttered, backing out of the hug, “you smell… too good.”

 

“Mikasa, I know it’s hard, but you need to back away a little,” said Hannes. 

 

“Don’t worry, I’m okay. It just worries me,” she said, staring at Eren in concern. “At least he isn’t in full blown heat yet. Looks like you got him out of there in time. I’m so thankful.” She smiled at him, glossy tears pooling in her eyes. Eren sighed and looked to the ground.

 

“No. My heat started last night. I’m on suppresants.” Mikasa glumly looked to Armin who had been staring in shocked awe at the miraculous presense of his best friend. The small Alpha felt a knot in his throat at Eren’s admission. 

 

“Kid,” began Hannes, “did they do anything with you?” Mikasa snapped a deadly glare at the Garrison soldier. “I’m sorry. But it’s important we know. We need to make sure he isn’t—”

 

“No,” said Eren, “things never escalated that far.” His tone was flat and devoid of emotion.

 

“Why would they give you suppressants?” asked Hannes, quickly changing the subject. 

 

“No idea.”

 

Armin had been quiet and frozen in the same place, but he finally approached Eren and fell to his knees. He faced his best friend and placed his hands on Eren’s shoulders. He leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips, nuzzling against his forehead afterwards. “I was so afraid we lost you,” he started, trying to steady his voice. Eren’s heart continued speeding up, his cheeks becoming more flushed than before. He leaned back to Armin and kissed him back, his small Alpha friend instinctively shoving him onto his back, the Omega still cozily wrapped in a myriad of blankets. 

 

“Alright, that’s enough,” said Hannes, pulling Armin away. 

 

“You know he’s vulnerable,” snapped Mikasa, shooting Armin an angry look. 

 

“No, it’s okay,” said Eren. They all looked to him as he pulled himself back to a sitting position. “I’ve never had someone who actually cares about me touch me like that until just now.” He looked at Armin and smiled. There was a lot of pain behind the smile and it was lost on no one. “Thank you, Armin.” 

 

——————————————————————————————————————-

 

Their time with Keith was up and the kids left with Hannes. He had cooked up a plan to hide the boy in a cabin he knew of located well out of town peremeters. It wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, but for now, it’s what they would have to do. They had Eren disguised as much as possible, wearing a fresh set of clothes now and his face obscured with a large hood. The three Alphas protectively surrounded him as they walked. Then, they heard it. The cock of a gun.

 

“You seem to have gotten lost,” said Levi, a gun aimed in the group’s direction from behind. Hannes pushed Eren behind himself and Armin, but Mikasa angrily stepped forward. She was 100% ready to annaliate this man, whoever he was; she longed for the sight of his blood. “Kid, I wouldn’t,” he said to the girl, the gun now aiming exclusively at her. She reluctantly paused and let out a loud, forced exhale, her eyes still locked on Levi. 

 

Suddenly, five men approached, all armed with guns of their own. Hannes was about to curse Levi, but he noticed a gun was pointed at the captain. _Who were these people?_

 

“We’re taking the Omega,” one of them said, closing in on the group. Levi scoffed. 

 

“Like hell you are.” The group didn’t waste another second. Three of them had Hannes, Mikasa, and Armin at gunpoint. The fourth one grabbed Eren by the wrist and began dragging him deeper into the forrest. Levi knocked the man infront of him to the ground using his feet and shot the gun out of his hand. He pocketed it and darted to the man taking Eren and hit him over the head with his gun, bringing the assailant to his feet. He shoved his head into the dirt with his foot and aimed his gun towards the men circling Eren’s friends, not even the slightest hint of exertion evident no his face. 

 

“Wait a second,” said the one of the men, “that’s captain Levi.” 

 

“No shit, Sherlock. Now get out of here before I have to explain why five men are dead to the brass. It would really be a huge waste of my time,” he said, his expression as bored as ever.The men obeyed and were gone within the blink of an eye. Eren stared, dumbfounded. At least the man he used to look up to was as good as everyone said. That part of Levi’s legend was completely true. 

 

“Well, thanks for saving us,” said Hannes, scratching his head, “so, are we next now?”

 

“No.” Levi lowered his gun. “Look. You have to give me Eren.”

 

“I can’t,” said Hannes. “He’s like a son to me. I can’t let you just…”

 

“Right, if we take him, you’ll rat us out to the king. Except, you won’t really.” 

 

“How can you be so sure?”

 

“Because they’ll kill him. No second thoughts.” Hannes closed his eyes and brought a hand to his head. Levi had correctly called his bluff. 

 

“So, death or neverending abuse,” said Mikasa, her eyes on fire and fists clinched, “what great options Eren has.” Levi looked at Eren who was sitting with his knees pulled in by his arms, the large hood covering most of his face. 

 

“He won’t be harmed.” Eren’s head slowly raised in response to Levi’s claim, his eyes narrowed. The captain’s eyes were sorry and filled with shame. “The fact is, he is not a normal Omega. And he won’t be treated like one. The Survey Corps is fully aware of this and is ready to take care of him. And keep him safe.” Levi walked over to Eren and leaned down to his level. He gently pulled the hood off and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I can promise you that if you don’t let me take him back, situations like the one that just happened will continue to occur. He _will_ be harmed. He could _easily_ be killed. The Survey Corps will prevent these things from happening.”

 

“I can protect him,” said Mikasa.

 

“So join us in doing so.” She squinted her eyes. 

 

“Join the Survey Corps?”

 

“If your greatest goal is to protect your friend, then there is no better place for you to be.”


	9. The Elements

“So, it worked.”

“Apparently.”

“Are those men alright?”

“They’ll be okay. I kinda stomped one of them with my foot, but it needed to look real. Right?”

“Right.”

________________________________________________________________________

“I need to talk to Hange,” said Eren, looking to the captain. They had arrived back at the Survey Corps headquarters about an hour ago and Levi didn’t plan on letting him out of his sight for at least a few days. 

“And why is that?”

“It’s really not your business.” Levi rolled his eyes and slowly stepped towards Eren until he had him backed against a wall. “What are you gonna do? Hit me?” he asked, sarcasm dominating his tone. 

“Look, you little brat. You’re currently my responsibility. Maybe you’re not a normal Omega, but you still contain many of the qualities of one. Namely the penchant for making stupid fucking decisions and getting yourself into trouble,” he said, now face to face with Eren, his breath brushing against the boy’s forehead, “You will follow my orders and you will answer my questions. Is that understood?” Levi was now releasing his strongest Alpha pheramones; if the kid wouldn’t obey him on his own, he’d force him to. Eren fought it for a few moments, but soon crumpled to the ground, his head falling into his hands. He was now gasping for air and his body was starting to shake. “I’ll ask you again,” said Levi, picking him up by his shirt and turning his chin upwards, “Is that understood?”

“Yes.” Eren gazed into Levi’s eyes. He never noticed that they were blue. 

“I really hope you end up being worth all this trouble,” said Levi, releasing him. Eren stumbled, his back bumping into the wall. He was still working on catching his breath when Levi reached forward and brushed his now damp hair out of his face. He laid a palm against the boy’s cheek— he knew his heat was very imminent. As much as he tried to ignore it, the idea of Erwin touching him made his skin crawl. He hated thinking of why that was. “Alright. Let’s go see Hange.”

______________________________________________________________________________  
Levi lead Eren to the main office. As they walked through the door, he found Erwin and Hange looking over a collection of scattered papers covering the Commander’s desk. Erwin looked up and smiled. 

“It’s good to have you back, Eren.” Eren looked away from him and shifted his body towards Levi. Erwin smirked. “Well, he’s certainly starting to take after someone.”

“He wants to talk to Hange.” She perked up and ushered him over to the desk, and he obliged. Eren pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to her. 

“My dad left that for me. It could have something to do with what’s wrong with me.”

“Sweetie, there is nothing wrong with you,” she said as she opened the paper, practically drooling. Everyone looked at her impatiently as she stared at the paper. She looked very excited. She lowered the paper and wore a huge smile, her eyes close to popping out of her head. 

“Christ, Hange. So what the hell does it say?” asked Levi. 

“Ever since Erwin told me about the fire incident, I had an inkling,” she began, setting the paper down and jumping to her feet to hug Eren. 

“Cut to the chase, Hange,” said Erwin, his interested peaked.

“Our dear Eren can control the elements.”

“Elements?” asked Eren, still locked in Hange’s hug. 

“Fire. Water. Earth. Air,” she said, her hug tightening. “You control them all. Or, at the very least, you can control fire.”

__________________________________________________________________________

“Ya know, I really don’t feel like I control the elements.”

“But you do. We’ll figure it out,” said Levi as they walked through the headquarters until they reached their destination. Eren groaned.

“Do I really have to go back in there? Those girls are freaks,” said Eren. They were back at the Omega facility. 

“Afraid so. But don’t worry. There are several guards now. And Erwin will get you out in the morning.” Eren looked at Levi, the fear in his eyes unmistakable. 

“Erwin? Why?”

“The blockers will be completely ineffective by then. He will keep you during your heat.” 

“No. He won’t.”

“You don’t have a choice. It’s what you were born to do, afterall.” Eren’s face reddened.

“I was born to get raped?” Levi sighed. 

“Eren, just don’t worry about it. Right now you’re scared, but tomorrow, you’ll feel differently.”

“You’re really gonna let him do this to me?” he asked, hurt. 

“No. You will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. I thought it'd be fun to make Eren a bender instead of a shifter.


	10. Deadly Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a rough and heavy one. The abuse tags are super relevant here. Read with caution.

“You’re so lucky!” exclaimed Krista. “You’ve been here only a few days and already the Commander has asked for you.” The Omegas were all sitting in the living area waiting for dinner to be served. Eren was on a chair looking irritated, his elbow holding up his head. 

 

“I wouldn’t think much of it, Krista,” began Ymir. She was sitting behind Krista on the floor and braiding her hair. “Guy’s probably just interested ‘cus the kid’s got a dick.” Eren rolled his eyes.

 

“You have a great way of putting things,” he said. “I’m glad at least you’re amused. As far as I’m concerned, my life is over tomorrow.”

 

“Grow up, Eren.” It was the first time he’d ever heard her speak. “Do you know how many times I’ve had to have ‘special time’ with one of those disgusting men?” Annie got up and walked over to him. “At least twice a week since I was twelve. I’m fifteen now. Female puberty is a real fucking blessing.”Eren shamefully looked away from her. He couldn’t comprehend how these girls have put up with this for so long.

 

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”

 

“No. You didn’t. But when _have_ you?” She began walking away from him. “You’re pathetic,” she said, opening the door to her room.

 

“Annie! Dinner’s almost ready!” said Krista, doing her best to sound cheerful.

 

“I’m not hungry.” She slammed her door. 

 

“I think she likes you!” said Ymir. 

 

“How do you do it?” he asked. 

 

“Do what?” replied Ymir, her fingers now unbraiding Krista’s hair, the smaller girl humming in contentment. 

 

“Survive. Like this.” She looked at Eren, her expression hardened. He returned her glance, his eyes clouded with sadness. “I mean. It’s obvious that you love someone,” he continued, looking at a dozing off Krista.“Is that how you do it?”

 

“Yes,” she replied without a second’s thought. “She’s worth the fight. To the very last breath.” 

 

“You love her and she loves you back,” he said in understanding, a pained smile on his face. “I… I have nothing like that. Nothing to fight for.”

 

“So fight for yourself.”

 

“I’m not worth it.” A sharp pain to his cheek apruptly took his breath away, a red mark beginning to form. Ymir had slapped him. 

 

“I’ve heard about you. Word is out, you know.”

 

“Huh?” he asked, his hand massaging the sore redness. 

 

“You have powers. You have something I don’t. The ability to save our people.” He laughed, his eyes dim. 

 

“Our people are already dead.”

__________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

The next morning, Erwin was the very first visitor. Everyone was asleep in their own bed and the facility was quiet, the only sound heard being the calming chirps of crickets. He walked to the desk where a guard had fallen asleep and slammed his hands on the desk, waking the Beta. 

 

“Uh! Oh, sorry, sir! Must have just dozed off…”

 

“Retrieve Eren.” The guard bowed and quickly darted to the boy’s room. A few minutes passed until the guard returned. 

 

“Sir, he isn’t waking up. Should I call a doctor?” Erwin grimmaced and pushed passed the guard, marching straight to Eren’s room himself. He wasn’t going to let him get out of this. He entered the room and yanked the covers from him, an instant sense of panic striking him when he got a look at the boy. His skin was no longer the sun kissed tan it had been before, but was now a deathly pale. He grabbed his hand and looked at Eren’s purple-tinted fingers and began shaking him in attempt to get him to stir, but it was to no avail. He quickly cradled one of the boy’s wrists and desperately searched for a pulse— it was there, but it was weak. 

 

“What the hell have you done?” 

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Eren woke up in what was obviously a hospital bed. There were multiple IVs being run throughout his veins and to his horror, he realized he was once again chained up. 

 

“You made a mistake, Eren.” His eyes darted to the familiar shape in the doorway and he felt an icy shiver radiate throughout his entire body. “So stubborn that you’d rather kill yourself than give into the life of luxury we have to offer you? Just because you’re too good to get fucked?” He walked to the bed and stared at him, his expression a rare angry one. “You don’t _get_ to die.” Eren opened his mouth to speak only to realize he couldn’t; he’d been gagged. Once again, he was utterly helpless and at the mercy of this man he had zero faith in. “Such a strangely defiant Omega. In need of a serious lesson,” he said, sliding the boys pants down. Erwin touched his backside and his breathing picked up. “I don’t think you really deserve any preperation, do you?” he asked as he climbed onto the bed, his huge body trapping Eren’s. The Commander pulled his terrifying length out and didn’t hesitate; he shoved it into Eren as hard as he could, holding back nothing. A piercing cry escaped Eren despite being gagged; he couldn’t tell if the liquid oozing from his lower body was from heat or blood. “You know,”said Erwin, now panting, “I am first and foremost a businessman,” he slowly pulled his length out, tears flooding Eren’s cheeks in pain, “but in this case, I don’t mind mixing business with pleasure.” He rammed back into Eren and took on a steady, rough pace, going in and out, the fluid from his precum and Eren’s soaking ass mixing together in a noisy battle of wills. 

 

Eren squirmed as much as the chains would allow and he felt a deeply distirbing mixture of pain, arrousal, and above all, _anger_. The Commander leaned forward and sucked his nipples, his huge dick not taking a second’s rest in thrusting in and out of him, the boy’s back arching agains the chains, bruises forming against the metal. Eren’s mind went blank and all he saw was a cleansing shade of white, a permeating wet warmth now engulfing his being; his body had taken all the pressure it could tolerate and Eren was sure he was about to die. But he didn’t. 

 

Erwin slowed down as he watched Eren enter climax; the boy’s eyes were rolled into the back of his head and tears met with a dazed drool. He twitched and squirmed, his vision steadily allowing him to once again make out the man on top of him. In that moment, he knew hatred had a name; it was _Erwin_. At the peak of his climax, rocks from the walls began shifting out of place the sound likened to that of an earthquake and Erwin turned his head to see one flying straight into his face, blood trailing his cheek. Pieces of the ceiling fell, the dust of debris swallowing the room. The floor below them cracked. It was all over within seconds. Erwin touched his cheek, wincing, before looking around at the damage. He looked pleased. 

 

“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Eren.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, y'all


	11. Fuel to the Fire

“Is his heat over already?” asked Levi, walking into Erwin’s office. Usually an Alpha would spend the entirety of an Omega’s heat with him or her. 

 

“His heat is over.”

 

“But.. shouldn’t there be a few more days?” Levi was a little worried Erwin had shifted the job to somebody else so he could focus on ridding the Titans from Trost. He’d accepted his Commander having Eren, but he wasn’t open to the idea of anyone else doing so. 

 

“He’s been through a lot of trauma. It ended early.” Erwin’s expression was a stoic one and showed little signs of concern. The captain could tell something was off, though. “If you don’t believe me, go see him in the dungeon.” Levi’s brow arched. 

 

“The _dungeon_? Why in the world is he back there?” he asked, hardly veiling his outrage. “Aren’t we beyond having to worry about him attacking us? His friends are working towards joining us soon, even. What’s the deal, Erwin?”

 

“Take a breath, Levi,” he began, robotically shifting through papers, “He isn’t capable of hurting us. At least not for a good while. His powers are hardly developed enough to pose much of a threat.”

 

“So answer the question. Why is he being held down there?”

 

“He’s a danger to himself.” Levi stared at the other man, slowly coming to understand what he meant. He was beginning to feel sick. He walked over to the window and thoughtlessly gazed at the trees. “We’ll move him out of there soon. Once we have appropriate accommodations.” Erwin walked toward Levi and placed his hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I regret touching him now. You really like him, don’t you?” He shoved his hand away.

 

“Wait. Did he hurt himself because of you?”

 

“No. I meant I was sorry because I wouldn’t have slept with him if I realized how much you like him.” 

 

“Why did he do it, then?”

 

“I think he’s just overwhelmed. I mean. Wouldn’t you be?”

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Eren was chained to the bed; he’d come full circle since first being brought to this cess pool. The injuries from yesterday’s time with Erwin had healed, but was still beyond miserable. He was left alone with his own thoughts in the hot, damp, dark vicinity of his assigned cage. He wasn’t even allowed to end his own suffering with the comforting kiss of death. Hell was a place on earth. And it was here. 

 

“Hey! Idiot! Wake up.” Eren turned his head as much as he could to see the owner of this familiar voice. The man he saw was so dark and mean, yet he carried light with him. “You really are as dumb as you look. Where’d you get the bright idea to go and kill yourself?”

 

“Levi,” said Eren, smiling. “It’s you.” Despite the initial smile, his face slowly collapsed into a complete ruin of pain, his lips quivering and eyes sparkling with weak tears. Levi instinctively grabbed his hand and cradled it between both of his palms. “I kept thinking you would show up. And stop him.” Levi’s heart ached. He hated that he knew exactly what Eren was talking about.

 

“I’ve come to let you out of here. But you will be under 24 hour watch to make sure you don’t do something stupid again.” He unlocked and unraveled all of the chains and helped Eren to his feet. 

 

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

 

“Didn’t _what_?”

 

“Stop him.” Levi looked to the kid and shook his head. 

 

“You Omegas. Never know what you want.” The captain knew they were helpless to enjoy sex, even if it was unwanted. Especially when in heat. He’d always been taught that Omegas were just that simple. Compliment them on their appearance, feed them, buy them presents, and fuck them as often as possible. Of course, Omegas hardly got such coveted treatment during these trying times. Omegas born into nobility were the only ones with such luck; all the others were usually sold to the government. And they were not meant for marriages or partnership when owned by the government— they weren’t even meant to reproduce. Betas generally were the child bearers (sometimes even female Alphas, with hormone treatment), and they were very common, so there was no need to use Omegas for such purposes. No. Omegas were valuable for only one thing once sold— sex. Good sex. Sex that could drive a person wild in ways that no other secondary gender could. Their scents were powerful. It had always been justified by the lawmakers, though; Omegas craved sex, and needed it to survive, even. Of course, Omegas were not allowed to be lawmakers. They were too simple to make such complicated decisions. 

 

“Thanks to Erwin, one day, I’ll be able to kill him myself,” said Eren, a crazed smile on his face, eyelids covering half of those shimmery irises. Levi stopped, putting an arm out to stop Eren from passing him. 

 

“You still want to kill him, huh?” He couldn’t help but be amused by this Omega. Not that he’d ever interacted with them much, but he was sure this one was _really_ strange. “Okay. I’ll humor you. Why do you want to kill him? His Omegas always seemed pretty satisfied in the past.” Eren stared at the captain, dumbstruck. 

“Are you dense? I _told_ you I didn’t want to sleep with him. He forced me. And if you don’t think that’s wrong, I’ll kill you, too.” Eren pushed his hand out of his way and kept walking. The captain didn’t know whether to put him in his place or marvel at his confidence. “It’s ironic. Right now, you’re all trying to save humanity from titans. Know what my goal is?” Levi was now standing in place with his arms crossed, an apathetic expression on his face. 

 

“And what goal would that be?”

 

“To save _Omegas_ from _humanity_.”


	12. The Light in the Darkness

A few days had passed since Eren’s horrible experience with the Commander. The conversation with Levi was the cherry on top of a truly traumatizing event; not only was he treated like dirt, he seemed to be the only one who noticed. Was it him who was crazy? Was he being a “stupid” and “overly emotional” Omega? Was he really a foolish child to think he deserved the same dignity and respect as an Alpha or Beta? … Eren always had an iron-will of conviction when it came to self-pride; he never questioned his own worth. 

 

Until now. 

 

You hear something enough, you start to believe it. A common but true phrase. 

 

He obeyed a little quicker. Put up less fights when he disliked an order. He was starting to break. He wasn’t even sure he knew who he was now. His identity was ruthlessly taken from him. 

 

Surprisingly, Erwin had made arrangements for the Omega to train with the rest of the cadets. Everyone attended a meeting in which the Commander explained Eren’s potential (though he didn’t go into details) and ensured them that he was worthy of the Scout uniform. The cadets were understandably not quite sure what to make of it. He got lots of strange looks and heard many mumbled (but clearly rude) remarks, but he didn’t care. The universe finally threw him a bone— He was in Mikasa and Armin’s training group. 

 

“Alright. Come at me,” said Mikasa, taking on a fighting stance. Eren ran to her and hooked his arms around her waist in attempt to take her down, but it was a wasted effort. She made quick work of him and pinned him to the ground instead by grabbing an arm and hoisting him over her back until he rolled to the moist, morning grass. Mikasa tugged on her hair and blushed a bit at the sound of some light laughter. She averted her eyes away from the boy laying dejectedly on his back. 

 

“Why am I here again? I’ll never be able to out-maneuver you.”

 

“But nobody can. It’s not like you’re the only one,” she said with a wink, holding out an arm to help him up. 

 

“But I can’t out-maneuver _anyone_. Why is Erwin humiliating me like this?” he asked, feeling defeated. Mikasa frowned and placed a hand on the small of his back. 

 

“Awww, poor little Omega. Maybe a nice fuck would make you feel better?” a voice interjected, Eren jerking his head towards whoever it came from. It was a tall guy around his age. His hair was a weird gray color and his face reeked of asshole. Perhaps both literally and figuratively. 

 

“Jean, say one more thing to him and I’ll fuck _you_ up.” Mikasa circled the cadet, her eyes a deadly shade of black. He stumbled back a few paces. 

 

“Is this your Omega or something? Huh. I was hoping he’d be open to everyone…” Mikasa was suddenly constricting Jean’s wrist with her hand, a small _crack_ sound following immediately after. He yanked his wrist back and winced, his free hand massaging the new ache. “Shit! Calm down, I wasn’t even trying to make you mad. Why are you getting so worked up over an Omega? Take it easy…” On top of his fractured wrist, Jean would now have to tend to the wounds from a fresh burn; he jumped with a gasp when he noticed his uniform was on fire. Eren was smiling, steam lightly flowing from his nose and the corners of his mouth. Mikasa looked to her childhood best friend, eyes widened in amazement. 

 

“Wow. You really _are_ a hothead,” she said, a tear welling in pride and relief. Maybe he really would get more out of life than she had thought. Jean was crying now at the realization of what just happened; his skin was already beginning to peel due to the severe burns and he was still patting like mad to get rid of the flames that had spread to his pants. 

 

“Jean— what the fuck is going on?” asked an amused Levi as he approached the three cadets. Though he knew what was going on perfectly well. Fire. _Fire_. Just like those fiery eyes. 

 

“This,” he pointed to Eren who was now relaxing on the ground, his arms holding his back up, “this _freak_ set me on fire! With his mouth! This thing isn’t an Omega, it’s a demon… we need to alert the King at once!” Levi’s eyes burned almost as brightly as the flames before him. He grabbed Jean by the collar and pulled him down to eye level. 

 

“You could do that. But I’d have to kill you,” he hissed, eyes not breaking contact with Jean’s, “and I _really_ don’t want to make a mess.” He threw Jean to the ground. “Go soak in a cool bath,” he ordered. Jean got up, his head ducked, and began making his way to the barracks. “Oh, and Jean?” 

 

“Sir?”

 

“Next time don’t fuck with Pyro.” 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

After the day’s training was up, Levi came to walk Eren back to the Omega Facility where he was still under 24/hour watch. The kid was exhausted and the captain was practically dragging him. 

 

“Hey, Eren.”

 

“Hmm?” asked a sleepy voice.

 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, not used to such foreign words, “… for not stopping him, I mean.” Eren’s eyes fully opened and he stared in awe at the captain.

 

“Why? I thought it was just nature taking it’s course,” he replied, his tone melancholy. “Or do you feel that way now because I’m a monster with magical powers?” 

 

“You aren’t a monster,” he said, his grip on Eren consciously lowering to his lower back, right above his ass. Might as well take the opportunity, he figured. The smell emitting from the boy’s skin might as well be considered a spell. Or was it a curse? 

 

“You’re right. _You’re_ the monster,” he quipped, shimmying away from the captain’s grasp. 

 

“Hmm.” The two walked in silence for a few minutes, the gentle breeze and chirping crickets nicely complimenting the orangey-red sunset. “Hey, look,” said Levi, pointing towards twinkling dots of yellow. 

 

“Fireflies,” said Eren, a light smile on his face. Levi reached out and caught one, cupping his hands so that the flashing glow was visible. “I used to catch these with mom,” he said, reaching out to catch his own, finally capturing one after a few tries. His eyes saddened at the memory. He wondered if he’d ever see her again. 

 

“They’re quite beautiful. Maybe we could catch a few and put them in a jar. You could keep it in your room.” 

 

“No. They’ll die in there,” he responded, taking a few more moments with his firefly until unfolding his hands, watching as it flew back into the glimmering sea it came from. “Their lights will go out.” Levi stared at Eren as the boy gazed into the mixing orange and blue hues of a never-ending sky. He then let his own firefly go. 

 

“I don’t want your light to go out.” Eren turned his eyes to Levi’s, the captain’s hand slowly maneuvering to his until the two were clasped together. 

 

“Then set me free.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆


	13. New Chains

A few months passed and Eren was steadily gaining control of his powers. Fire was the easiest and most natural element for him to use, and he was pretty sure that made sense. His anger might have been on the back burner, but it was still there. He was angry for a lot of reasons. And it fueled his bending with ease. The next element he was best at was earth, which coincides with his stubbornness and hard-headedness; he had saved many cadets with some well-timed rock slides. Air and water remained totally dormant, and he wasn’t sure if they were even reachable. They were the elements of freedom and fluidity, two things he hardly even comprehended. And how could he? He was far from free and change was never a good thing. 

“Hey, uh. You did really good out there…”

“Thanks, Jean,” replied Eren as the two climbed from their horses. 

“You really got me thinking. Like, about the way I always viewed Omegas. I was wrong and… I’m sorry for the way I used to treat you. You’re… you’re a good soldier.” 

“I’m flattered,” he said, his tone dry. Eren was glad the guy finally saw the error in his ways, but he wasn’t exactly leaping for joy at his realization that Omegas deserve respect. Like, congratulations? Jean awkwardly patted his back and took his horse into the stable. At least he’s actually trying. He put his own horse up and began heading towards the barracks, the sun quickly setting and his body sore and heavy with fatigue. He saw Levi leaning against a gate, reading. He hadn’t had much contact with him ever since the firefly conversation, so he thought he’d take the opportunity to touch base with the guy. 

“You’ve been MIA, captain.” Levi looked up from his book, raising a brow. 

“What do you need, Eren?”

“Do I have to need something to talk to you? Besides, you kinda disappeared. Where have you even been?” Levi’s eyes narrowed and he sighed through his nose. 

“I didn’t realize I needed to check in with fuckin’ Sparky before I do things now,” he said, slipping the book in his pocket and turning around. As he was leaving, a hand to the shoulder stopped him. He huffed and turned around. “What?”

“Christ. What has you so heated? Or has your personality done a 180 since I last saw you?” he began, his face scrunching in confusion. “Maybe I’m bad at reading people, but it seemed like you at the very least tolerated my presence before. You scared of me now or something?” Levi let out a forced laugh.

“In your dreams, Sparky.” He looked the kid up and down, noting the changes in his personality and body. He was much more confident than months before, which Levi was glad to see. And his body… well, it was gaining muscle. As much muscle as an Omega could gain, anyway. “You’re looking well.”

“Heat blockers work wonders for male masculinity,” he said, awkwardly rubbing his bicep. “I don’t think I’ll ever go off ‘em.” 

“Don’t you ever want kids?”

“Is that a joke? Why anyone would want to bring life into this world is beyond me. I’d rather drink lighter fluid.” Eren ran a hand through his messy, wet hair, pulling his bangs to the side of his forehead. It was mesmerizing. 

“Don’t act like drinking lighter fluid is a negative for you, Sparky.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“Well, now it’s your official name as far as I’m concerned.” Eren glared at him, the jeweled irises of his eyes catching the gleam of the orangey sunlight peaking through the clouds. Levi suddenly remembered why he’d been avoiding him. He found it impossible to look away from those eyes. He stepped towards him, his gaze still glued, and laid a hand on his shoulder. He used his other hand to slick the kid’s hair back even more for him. Eren leaned forward a bit and Levi was floating into that orange-purple haze of sky before reality abruptly returned to those turquoise eyes; Eren’s dreamy vision went from Levi to the shadow forming right behind him, quickly snapping them both from the trance. The captain instinctively turned around. Handcuffs were thrown to him, his hands catching them without thinking. 

“Cuff him.” 

“What? Why, Erwin?” Eren’s demeanor quickly went from that of a dragon to a puppy and he lined himself up behind Levi. Erwin looked defeated. 

“I threw out all the stops, but it was no use. He’s being transferred to the Military Police as ordered by the King.” 

“Shit,” said Levi, turning around to look at a crumbling Eren. 

“Indeed,” echoed Erwin. The Commander looked at the two and could tell this wasn’t a job for Levi. He grabbed the cuffs from him and snapped them on Eren himself. “I’m not giving up. But for now, if we don’t hand him over, all of our resources will be cut off. We have no choice.”

_____________________________________________________________________________

“Here he is, sir.” An MP dragged Eren inside the room, the boy’s face pale and eyes unfocused. His body was limp. The MP gently sat him onto the floor and stepped back, giving his commanding officer a salute. 

“So. We finally found him.” The man got up from his desk and approached the kid laying on the floor. 

“He has been on heat blockers. Last heat was about three months ago.”

“Pfft. How do they expect him to be at his full potential power-wise if they hold him back like that? What idiots,” he said, turning the kid onto his back. “I always knew it’d be the Yeager boy. Always could tell he liked it up the ass. Grisha really lucked out.”

“Uh, so I take it you want me to discontinue the blockers?”

“No shit,” he said, lifting his shirt to graze his fingers against Eren’s toned stomach. “He’s way too muscular for an Omega. They really are idiots.” He stood up and took one more look at the boy and clicked his tongue. “Alright. Chain him up.”

“Right away, Mr. Ackerman.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally fixed the format so the spacing is ridiculously dumb. I'm new to this site xoxo.


	14. The Power of Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part of eren's thought process towards the end of this chapter was inspired by chapter 105 of the manga which i am utterly upset over -_-
> 
> if you haven't read, it's not really a spoiler per say. it's a generalized thing. but i definitely had his mental state in mind while finishing this one. ugh
> 
> chapter looks kinda short but it's pretty on par with the rest of my chapters. there's just less dialogue and more chunks of text here.

Eren came to in yet another dungeon-looking room. His life was starting to take on a horrific pattern. Chains, chains, chains. He must really be a monster for fate to do him this way over and over again. Except now, he had no idea who his captors were. The Military Police, who were directly tied to the king as far as Eren understood. At least with the Survey Corps, he was starting to find his niche. Sure, he still wanted to annihilate Erwin Smith, but the guy had been leaving him alone for months. Eren supposed the Commander had gotten what he wanted—an advancement in controlling his element bending. Maybe now that he realized the kid’s potential powers, he didn’t want to fuck with him much anymore. He preferred to believe this possibility over any other potential fucked up scheme the psychopath could very well have up his sleeve. He was certain about one thing, though. This was not part of his scheme. 

“You’re awake! ‘Bout time.” A tall, scruffy looking cowboy figure walked bowleggedly towards his cell. Eren was pretty sure this guy was a big fan of the Ancient American West culture that Armin had once talked about while reading one of his dad’s books. “Let me see that pretty face.” The man yanked the kid’s head up by his hair and looked at the pathetic mess of ‘super hero’ before him. “Let’s cut to the chase, Yeager.” Eren flinched at the mention of his last name. “You are the bender the Military Police has been desperately searching for. You control the elements, yada yada, blah, blah, blah. You are one successful fucking lab rat. But here’s the short story: You know only two elements, and you will learn all four.” His grip on the strands of hair tightened, Eren wincing in pain. “And you’ll do it very quickly.”

“I… I can’t…” His response was met with a prompt kick to the face, blood spewing from the boy’s mouth. 

“You misunderstood me. I wasn’t asking you. I’m telling you. I don’t give a flying fuck what your current capabilities are. You will learn all four elements. Or? Your friends and family die. Period.” A pained breath escaped Eren’s mouth, blood leaking from the corners of his lips. “Now, now. Calm down, boy. I’m here to help ya.” Kenny ran a finger down Eren’s chest, dragging it down the torso, to his naval, eventually reaching his pelvis. His eyes were trained to Eren’s own. He shot him an overly toothy grin; he looked crazed. Eren did his best to place a fearless look on his face; it was clearly hollow. 

“You know about my powers. What’s to keep me from transforming this building into a pile of rubble right now?” 

“Hah. Well, first of all, I’m gonna hafta say the drugs running through your system will serve as a slight hinderance. Haven’t ya noticed how damn loopy and drowsy you are? You look like fuckin’ shit, boy.” He was right. Eren noticed right away that his muscle memory and locomotive abilities were far from proficient. Things were moving in slow motion and his stomach was tossing and turning like a broken washing machine. Now that he thought about it, he was feeling incredibly ill. 

“And there’s much more where that came from. So, that’s reason number one. We’ll drug you anytime you get out of hand; we have very fast-reacting tranquilizers. Your dad helped perfect them! But, ya know. I’m gonna have to say that the bigger pieces of leverage are your friends’ and family’s lives. You wanna burn me? Do it. But it wont hurt nearly as badly as what we’ll do to Mikasa. Armin. Hmmm, how about your mother?” Kenny smiled, his blue eyes cold and full of transparency— he’d kill them. There was no doubt about it. This man was worse than any titan. He clearly ranked high up in the Military Police, which was directly linked to the throne. This man had incredible power over the people of the walls. Including the ones he loved. All the strength Eren felt only a day ago was snatched from him within the blink of an eye. He saw no way out of this. Everyone was going to die, and it’d be because how him. He wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt. 

“Kill me. Please.” Kenny’s brow arched and he laughed.

“Oh, right. I did read about your suicidal tendencies… heard you were a suicidal bastard, in fact,” began Kenny, kicking bits of dirt with his boot, “You aren’t dying. Not yet. And if you kill yourself, you’ll be taking your friends and family with ya.” The threat sent an intense wave of nausea throughout his gut and he gagged, swallowing back anything that was about to come up. Spit dripped down the right side of his mouth. Kenny chuckled. “Keep the upchuck unchucked, okie dokie? You’re gonna need your strength.” He grabbed the boy’s wrist and stuck a syringe into his vein. Eren watched, broken to the point of mindlessness, as the gooey liquid pumped from the needle to his innards. Needles were now associated with relief in his mind— anytime he saw one, he drifted into a peaceful slumber. 

This was no slumber. He pulled on the chains with all his strength and screamed in pain, the small lines of spit turning into pools of drool as his mind failed to comprehend its newest sensation— a pain so traumatic that Eren saw stars and was barely conscious within thirty seconds. 

“Ya know what they say, Yeager.” Kenny watched as the boy jerked and writhed in tantalizing agony until he steadily transformed into a limp body. Smoke steamed from his nostrils in permeating waves. 

“Pain is the greatest motivator.”


	15. Time is Running Out

“Well, Eren’s transfer has certainly thrown a wrench in our plans, but the good news is, my studies of his blood have lead to some very promising developments.” Hange, Mike, Levi, and Erwin were all in a meeting room, hashing out a collaborative plan of action after days of individual brainstorming. Not surprisingly, Hange was the first one to bite. 

“Developments? As in…” Levi hardly had the patience for any filler talk. It’d been a few days since the MPs took Eren and honestly, for all anyone knew, he was dead. Levi was glad he’d kept his distance for most of the kid’s stay. Still, if he could get him back… he sighed and closed his eyes. 

“I’m 90% sure that a serum can be created. A transformative serum for Omegas. Well, actually I’m 100% sure. Grisha Yeager did it.” She was holding her clipboard, her eyes glued to the text in front of her. “I’ve been working on figuring out how he did it. And I think I’m getting close…”

“So, you haven’t just been taking a giant shit all this time. That’s nice to know, I guess.” 

“Close isn’t good enough,” interjected Erwin. 

“Agreed,” replied Hange, lowering her clipboard. “Still. The potential is very promising. We just… have to get Eren back.” Mike and Erwin shot each other knowing looks. 

“Yes. That’s what Mike and I have been working on.” Erwin nodded to Mike and his subordinate walked out of the room and returned promptly. He had a brown cloth bag in his posession now. He handed it to Erwin and the Commander pulled out a uniform. But it wasn’t for the Survey Corps. Levi cocked an eyebrow. 

“I see.”

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

“Hi. My name is Nile. I Command the Military Police.” Eren’s body was currently steaming in repair and he was slumped over in yet another cell, his hands wrapped tightly together as a suicide-prevention measure. Everything was thought out in that regard. He was even gagged, his teeth not able to tear into his tongue even if he wanted to. Not that he did. He wouldn’t give up as long as he had something to fight for. His life was not the only one at stake. 

The man unwrapped his hands and removed the gag, but left him chained as a safety protocol. Eren savored every second of being able to close his exhausted jaw and tried to muster up any moisture, his tongue painfully dry and his lips severely chapped. Nile handed him a cup of water and he visciously downed it within miliseconds, his body still craving fluids after the teasing morsels of liquid. 

Nile’s eyes became noticably dilated and he consciously swallowed. Eren tilted his head. 

“Oh, god. You’re not in a rut, are you?” he muttered, clearly not impressed. Nile’s eyes narrowed. 

“If there’s one thing I hate,” he said, taking a step forward, “it’s loudmouthed Omegas. Do you miss the gag or something?” Eren instantly shook his head, his eyes shifting from arrogant to submissive. “That’s more like it.” Nile dragged a finger across the kid’s bottom lip and let out a shakey breath. Eren’s body stiffened. He’d been raped once before and a second time could very well send him over the edge. 

“Does your boss know you’re in here?” asked Eren, tilting his neck to the side and away from Nile’s touch. The man let out an airy laugh, but he wasn’t smiling. 

“I don’t know why you fight it.”

“Fight what?”

“Your nature.” Eren rolled his eyes despite his growing apprehension. 

“And what nature is that?” Nile unbuttoned the boy’s shirt and slid his fingers down his torso, his groin pressed against Eren’s stomach. He could feel the protruding girth against his skin. Nile was resting his chin on top of the boy’s head, towering over him. His breath tickled Eren's neck and was heavy with lust. 

“You know you want it…” He rubbed his now moist groin against Eren’s own. 

“You don’t know my nature.” He lifted his index finger and a strong flow of fire flew onto Nile’s lower region, his aim pretty damn sharp, causing him to jump back and fall to the ground in response. He screamed in shock and rolled around in the dirt until there was nothing but smoke evading his pants. Eren couldn’t help but crack a subtle smile. It’s the little things sometimes. 

“You stupid whore!” he shouted, struggling to his feet and desperately attempting to regain even an ounce of his previous composure. “I will fuck you. Maybe not today,” he said, his breathing strained, sweat beading on his temples, “but your heat is imminent. And you haven’t had it in months. You’re going to be utterly miserable.” Eren’s smile was gone and he felt a knot in the back of his throat. 

“I expect you’ll properly repay me for this stupid bitchy Omega shit when that happens. You made me scream.” He dusted himself off and exited the cell, slamming it shut in anger. “In a few days, you’ll be the one screaming.” 

Was this a soldier going AWOL and operating off the books, or was this part of the plan? Either way… 

Eren had to get the hell out of here.


	16. Thirsty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:}

“So, you’re absolutely certain he’s able to control all four?”

“Yes. To control more than one means all are masterable. He’s definitely been given Avatar abilities, your highness.” 

“Is he controllable?”

“… “

“Well?”

“We’re not sure yet.”

“Are his abilities replicable?”

“Not that we know of.”

“Good. If he can’t be tamed, he is to be eliminated. If he won’t serve to our advantage, he will serve to no one’s.”

Nile bowed before the King and exited the room. 

______________________________________________________________________________

Nile casually twirled the dungeon’s key as he headed down the familiar trail, whistling a tune that belonged to no song in particular. He had been told by both the King and Kenny that he was to coax Eren’s “Avatar state” by any means necessary. It had been a week since the boy was transferred to the Military Police and so far, there was no progress. Torture didn’t work. They had poisoned him, beat him, cut him, held his head under water until he nearly drowned… it was clear that this method was ineffective. His will was simply too strong. The kid was too stubborn. It actually kind of made Nile sick to watch Kenny abuse him so severely. 

Still, he had his own form of abuse in mind. He had since the moment he laid eyes upon him. And it was almost time to begin. 

As he approached the prisoner facility, three other MPs began trailing him. As a Commander, he often had to deal with a lot of problems and issues, and now wasn’t the time. He huffed and turned around, his finger already pointing in the air. 

“Guys, I’m busy, I’ll talk to you la—” he didn’t finish his sentence before a solid fist landed on his face. One of the MPs quickly circled him and grabbed his arms, tying them together frantically, while the third MP gagged the man. He kicked and struggled, but was soon unconscious thanks to a mysterious injection. 

“Get the key.”

A small, blond boy pulled the key from the man’s fingers and held it up to show the Captain. He tossed it to him and looked to the dark haired female soldier who was ensuring the ropes were secure. Once satisfied, she stood up nodded. 

“Armin, I need you to stand guard. If you see anyone approaching, shoot off this flare. We wont be able to see it, but we’ll hear it.” 

“Sir!” He clutched the flare gun and hunkered down beside Nile, making himself as small as possible so as not to draw unwanted attention. 

“Mikasa, let’s go.”

The two infiltrated the facility and began their search. They were shocked to see just how many people were kept in the holding cells… there was at least twenty shoved in a particular chamber, the group huddled together like sardines. Levi wondered just what sort of crimes they had committed… if any. The sheer volume of population worried him. Mikasa didn’t look any less concerned, but stayed silent and remained on guard, her movements precise and catlike. After looking through a few different floors, the two suddenly shot each other a synchronized, panicked glance. 

They could smell him. 

Without a word, the two followed the pungent aroma that seemed to fill the bottom floor. Of course, thought Levi. Keeping him underground is the safest option. 

It took about five minutes to locate the room that was obviously meant to hold the most dangerous prisoners. Mikasa was panting in a mixture of anticipation and worry, her temples gleaming with sweat. She shoved the key into the lock and it fit. They heard a click and door creaked open. 

There was nothing but a strange, dark gray puddle of thick liquid on the ground of the cell. Tears ran down Mikasa’s face and she let out a light sob. He wasn’t there. Levi was pensive, his hand covering his mouth and his eyes focused. He approached the puddle and bent down, his face an inch away from the gooey mess. 

“It smells metallic.” Mikasa wiped her face and looked to the puddle. 

“I know he was here. I’m certain.”

“So am I,” he agreed, watching as the goo began to harden. 

“He…bends metal.”

“Apparently so,” he replied, rising to his feet. Well I’ll be damned, thought Levi. This little shit didn’t even need his help to escape. He did it on his own. 

“But… how did he get out? Of the room, I mean. The door was locked before we came in.”

“Maybe he dug himself out.”

“There are no holes.”

“He’s one hell of an earth bender, then.”

“Not really,” interrupted a third voice. The two jumped, the hairs on Levi’s body instantly erect. His heart dropped when he realized who it was. “Fucker ain’t bad at metal, though.”

“Kenny.”

“What’s funny is, he almost got away.” Levi was struck with terror when he realized that Kenny was holding a very familiar looking kid by the shirt collar. Eren was dripping wet, his clothes sticking to his body, toned muscles noticeably smaller than they were a week ago. He was panting like an animal and his eyes unfocused. 

“Give him back,” demanded Mikasa, her anger unwavering. 

“No can do, little lady. Your brother needs me.” Levi let out a low growl. “Actually, you sorta interrupted us. This little slut was just getting to the good part of my blow job.” Mikasa lunged at the man and managed to shove him to the ground, taking Eren with her. She watched in shock as he actually crawled back to Kenny and rubbed up against him, his panting growing faster and louder. 

“Stop it, Eren! You don’t know what you’re doing!”

“Oh, but he does. You’re a fucking whore, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Eren said in a breathy, voiceless tone. 

“Ya know, I don’t even think he was trying to escape. I think he was trying to find me!” Kenny laughed, clearly feeling unthreatened by the two of them. He was pulling a pistol from his pocket when his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground, a loud thud heard from behind. 

“Hannes!” Mikasa was overjoyed at such a beautiful sight. 

When Kenny stopped reacting to Eren’s advances, his mind could only focus on the painful arousal of the heat, and he began sobbing in discomfort. He arched his back, still laying on the ground. Levi stared at the boy as he writhed in need, the sweat from his skin mixing with the dirt his body rested on, his shirt riding up his stomach. Levi swallowed and looked humiliated at the sensation of his own erection. 

“Listen, guys,” said Hannes, appearing to be struggling with the pheramones himself, “we have to stay focused and get him out of here.” 

“Christ,” muttered Levi. Eren was touching himself and moaning. Mikasa looked utterly mortified. “Thank fucking god I brought this,” he said, pulling a syringe from his bag and bending down to the unbearable site before him. He took in a labored breath and injected him with a heat blocker. 

“How long before that takes effect?” asked Mikasa, her voice muffled from covering her nose with both her hands. 

They all three looked down at Eren as he hungrily rubbed up and down his dick from under his pants, his face blush pink and eyes in the back of his head, tormenting them with inviting little moans.

“I hope really fucking soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh, eren. control yourself.


	17. The Angel and the Devil

It had been about an hour since the Survey Corps retrieved Eren from the Military Police. They were hardly out of the woods, though. Nile didn’t catch the faces of those who knocked him out, but Kenny most definitely knew who every single one of them was. Levi was pissed with himself.

“I should have killed him when I had the chance,” he sighs, trailing the rest of the group as they walked through the woods. 

“It sounded like you knew each other.” Hannes, the largest of the soldiers was the one carrying Eren, the boy slung over his shoulder. The heat blocker they gave him before they left the dungeon had helped, but not as much as it normally would have— Eren’s hormones were out of wack from being surpressed for such a long time. He, though half asleep, still struggled to get away from his keeper and wore an uncomfortable semi-hardon, his mind hopelessly lost in the biological heat, but the struggling was weak and less pained than before— he was probably exhausted from bending that metal. Plus, it’s not like they knew what he’d gone through while under MP custody. The possibilities were worrisome. 

“He’s my uncle,” confirmed Levi. 

“Wow. You look nothing alike…” said Mikasa. 

“Luckily, I’m not too similar to the guy. Pretty much all we have in common is how dangerous we are.” 

“Did you know that my surname is Ackerman?” Levi stopped in his tracks and looked up. 

“Huh. That explains some things.” They made brief eyecontact and quickly returned their vision to the terrain ahead. The group walked wordlessly for a minute, nothing but the sounds of their boots crunching into leaves and gravel filling the silence.

“I wonder if they’ve been feeding him,” segued Hannes. “He’s so light…” Mikasa could feel her body tensing up in anger. 

“Starvation isn’t a likely tactic,” said Armin, “bending is known to take a lot of energy. To bend that metal, he must have had plenty of sustenance.” 

“It’s because they haven’t been blocking his Omega hormones,” concluded Levi, his dry tone and bored eyes harboring concern. “Omegas aren’t made to produce muscle. And I bet he’s been pretty contained in that cell, so it’s not like he’s been getting exercise like he did at the Corps. It makes sense that he’s lost some weight.”

“So what have they been doing with him? They wanted him just to keep him locked up?” asked Mikasa. 

“That’s possible,” said Armin, “maybe they see him as dangerous.”

“If that was the case, they would have simply killed him,” said Levi, his eyes looking to Eren’s slumped over face on Hannes’ shoulder. He had finally fallen asleep, his expression peaceful for the first time since they’d taken him back. The steady, soothing sound of his light breathing brought about some much needed comfort for everybody. 

Thank god, thought the captain. Finally, Eren wasn’t suffering. 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

It was nighttime and the group was camping in a makeshift hut that Mikasa and Hannes had put together. Levi hunted for anything edible, and managed to catch a large hare. They roasted it on the fire and ate hardily while Eren slept. Not much was said between the four as they ate. They were tired and emotionally drained. It wasn’t long after eating that they drifted off to sleep. 

Of course, Levi didn’t actually sleep. He half wondered if everyone else was pretending to sleep, too. Eren’s scent was driving him insane. He was already a light sleeper by nature, but being so close to a male Omega in the middle of a heat was pretty torturous. It didn’t help that this Omega was beautiful. He eyed Eren, who was laying between the protective Armin and Mikasa. He sighed and turned around to his other side, trying instead to focus on the vegetation that surrounded them. He was partially successful in minding his own business until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, turning around to see Eren glued to his side, now wide awake and breathing heavily. Oh god, thought Levi. 

“Eren,” he whispered, “go back to bed.” Not that the kid was over just super obedient, but he definitely wasn’t now as he crawled atop Levi and sucked on his scent gland, the older man’s dick now harder than solid diamonds. “Okay. That’s it.” Levi sat up and shoved Eren off of him. The force made him bang his head on a tree and tears instantly streamed down his face. But it wasn’t because of his head. Levi looked to him and couldn’t help but feel like a gigantic monster in that moment. He glanced over to the rest of the group to see them still soundly sleeping and then back to a miserable looking Eren. He bit his lip and hestitated a moment before grabbing the kid and dragging him away from the campsite.

The two reached a beautiful large pond and Levi decided this was the spot. 

“Okay, you idiot,” he said, shoving Eren to the ground and rolling him to his stomach, “I’m going to fuck your idiot brains out.” 

He yanked Eren’s pants off and pushed his shirt up to his shoulders, letting his hands lightly trace his spine from his lower back to his neck. Eren’s body was going crazy just from those simple touches, he could hardly keep still. Levi helped with that probem, though, and used all his weight to trap him flat to the ground, no more sign of his erratic movements other than the shifting muscles below Levi’s body. He reached to the fly of his pants and unzipped them, pulling his throbbing cock out and let it touch Eren’s backside. The kid’s ass was pathetically wet and sticky and Levi enjoyed the contrast between the kid’s round, soft, slippery backside and his own rugged length. “I’m going to enjoy destroying you,” he whispered between struggled wheezes. The Alpha in him took over as he laid his hands around Eren’s neck and constricted as he rammed himself into the dripping hole. He squeezed harder as he found an addictive rhythm, in, out, in, out, his penetration growing more and more destructive; there was no going back now— in that moment, all he knew was Eren’s body was his and he would have it. All of it. 

Eren challenged him by trying to jerk his body away, the pressure on his neck becoming uncomfortable and his breaths more shallow. Levi scolded him by ramming harder than before and Eren let out a pained cry, the captain shifting his hands from his neck to his soft, untamable brown hair. He yanked without mercy until the kid’s head was bending back far enough for Levi to see his eyes. His face was stained with tears and his eyes were a puffy red. “Don’t for a second think that you aren’t mine,” he hissed and threw his head down into the grass. Eren’s pain was finally gifted with a thunderous high that spread from body to mind. He whimpered beneath the steel ox that dominated him and bucked upward as much as Levi would allow, trying to satisfy his climax as much as possible as it rolled through his body. The feeling and sight was too much for Levi and he finally allowed himself to cum into the wrecked body under him. 

A few minutes passed with the two staying in the same position, Levi on top of Eren, and Levi began snapping out of his fever dream. He rolled off of him and sheepishly zipped his pants back up. His now lucid eyes peered over at the Omega he had just devoured; he was naked except for a ruffled up shirt that hung around his head. His neck was red and bruised and blood ran down his thighs, the gory sight causing Levi to wince. Eren’s body was trembling and his turquoise eyes fluttered in fatigue. He remained just where Levi had positioned him, his body backside-up and face tucked into the ground as if still obeying orders, and fell back to sleep. The incredible euphoria Levi had felt only minutes earlier had decimated and now he questioned his own character. 

“I’m just as bad as you, Kenny.” 

He gently picked Eren up and laid him in the shallow area of the pond, the blood and sweat drifting away as he poured handfulls of cool water over his battered body. His neck looked terrible. Levi frowned and dropped his head into a soggy hand. It wasn’t long until he heard the calm pond begin to stir. He saw no fish that could have caused the ripples and stared at the water in confusion. Then, he noticed it circling Eren’s neck. It was glowing. A minute passed and the water became placid yet again. 

The bruises on the boy’s neck were completey gone. 

“Eren…”

He cracked open an eye, the sun illuminating the blue-green colors into a blinding light. He put a hand over Levi’s. 

“Hey. Don’t worry. I’m okay.” 

“You’re an angel.” 

Eren smiled. 

“And you’re a devil.”


	18. The Growing Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of the Survey Corps work to hide both Eren and themselves from the powerful Military Police. But, they have other problems.

Levi woke to the sounds of chirping birds and the rising light from the sun. It was morning. He was spooned around a smaller, filthy Eren, the boy still asleep. Suddenly, Levi remembered everything that happened last night. A pang of guilt hit the pit of his stomach. “I’m such an idiot,” he muttered to himself. 

“Can I get that in writing?” quietly asks a sleepy Eren. Levi’s eyes narrow. 

“So, you’re awake, brat. You seem… more sane this morning.”

“Yeah, my heat seems to have broken. I barely remember most of it…” He sits up and pulls his body away from Levi, his legs pulled into his chest. His eyes face the ground. “but I do remember last night.” 

“Do… do you resent me?” Eren laughs. 

“It’s way passed resentment.” He pulled the now ripped and ragged shirt hanging around his neck over his shoulders and down his stomach. His eyes were scanning the rest of the area for his pants.

“Here,” said Levi, tossing the kid the pants. Eren grabbed them, his face dusted a light shade of pink. 

“Could you stop staring?”

“No.” 

Eren’s expression was becoming frustrated. He shamefully and purposefully stood up, his bottom half bare, and began pulling on his pants. Levi’s eyes widened as he got a better look at the body he’d eaten alive last night— it was beauitful. His ass was less musclar and more plump than before, his hips wider and more rounded. He had the perfect figure for an Omega and Levi couldn’t help but wish Eren would permanently stay off the blockers. Regardless, he knew he’d have to have him again. He’d only had a taste and was desperate for the entire meal. 

“Enjoy, asshole, because this is the last time you’ll ever see it.” He snapped his pants shut and looked at the bulge in Levi’s pants. “You’re weak.”

Levi laughed. 

“That’s not what you said last night, Mr. cockslut.”

“Do not call me that.” His face was reddening in anger. Levi shot him an affectionate smile.

“Alright, Sparky.”

___________________________________________________________________________

A few weeks passed since Eren was retrieved, and those who went on the mission were forced to live in a hidden location to ensure the safety of both Eren, and the Survey Corps. The Scout headquarters had been heavily searched in an effort to find the boy, but his absence made Erwin’s explanation— that a few Scouts went AWOL and left with Eren— easier to buy. Though Kenny was still pretty skeptical. 

“Eren, you’ve been awfully sick lately…” said Mikasa, the girl stirring a pot of stew over a fire. Eren was laying near her on the grass, a bucket nearby should nausea strike. 

“Ever since I learned water bending, my stomach wont stop swirling. I wish I’d never even learned it.” He groaned and rolled to his side. Mikasa kept her eyes trained to the stew. 

“Well, stop doing it, then.”

“I have to master it if I’m to ever to reach my potential.” 

“Who says you have to do that? We could still make a break for it, you know. You don’t have to put up with the Survey Corps’ demands if you don’t want to. I can make sure of that.”

“What’s that?” interrupts Levi. He doesn’t look impressed. Mikasa scowls. 

“I don’t recall inviting you into the conversation. ” Mikasa’s threatening expression doesn’t waver. 

“Tch.” Levi looks to a pale Eren, the circles under his eyes beginning to rival Levi’s own. “You look like shit.”

“He hasn’t been able to keep much down for about a week now,” said an approaching Armin, a basket of potatoes in hand. “That bucket is actually starting take my place as Eren’s best friend.”

“Is that so?” Levi hadn’t been with them for most of their stay so far. While he couldn’t show his face at the Survey Corps at the moment, Erwin still had other work for him to attend to elsewhere. Armin tossed the potatoes into the boiling water and Eren gagged at the stew’s taunting aroma. 

“It’s been ever since he picked up water bending. He shouldn’t have to do it if he’s like this,” said Mikasa, angrily stirring the stew. She looked to Levi, whose usually stoic expression revealed signs of anxiety. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Water bending, huh?” He walked to Eren and leaned down to his level, letting a hand rub his back as the boy threw up into the bucket. “It’d probably be a good idea to have Hange look at him.”

“For once, I actually agree with you,” said Mikasa, looking to an unhappy Eren. 

“No. I wont let her experiment on me. I’ve had enough of that…” he said, the volume of the sentence dropping towards the end. 

They had yet to probe much about what the Military Police did to him, but it was obviously incredibly traumatic. He flinched at harmless movements from those he trusted, felt sick when touched without warning. Sleep was no longer a welcome embrace; it grabbed him by the throat and strangled him into submission. Only waking up freed him from the terror of his nightmares, and consciousness wasn't much better. Armin and Mikasa were at a loss when it came to helping him. They kept him physically safe, but neither could lessen the mental anguish. 

“No experiments, kid. Think of it as a checkup.” 

“She isn’t laying a finger on me,” Eren demanded. He scrunched into a fetal position and closed his eyes. His body shook. 

“Eren, you need medical attention,” urged Levi, his voice quiet and gentle, as if speaking to a small child. 

“It’s the waterbending. Case closed.”

“It could be something else.” Levi leaned down to the boy and rubbed his back again as he coughed up bile into the bucket. 

“I wasn’t gonna say anything, but…” said Mikasa before Eren cut her off.

“Then don’t,” he said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. 

“Eren,” said Armin, breaking his silence, “I know it’s really hard for you to think about, let alone talk about… but it’s important we know…” 

“Did they rape you?” It was Mikasa who took the plunge. Finally, the question on everyone’s mind was on the table. His closed eyes tensed up and he shook his head. She let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank god. We didn’t tell you, but we were terrified you could be with child,” said Mikasa, wiping a tear from her eye. Levi’s heart fell into his stomach. “Still, though. Let’s let her check you out to make sure something serious isn’t wrong. You’ve been sick for a while now.” He violently sat up and jumped to his feet. 

“No! I said NO!” His face was turning red and his eyes glistened with creeping droplets. 

“Eren, calm down—”

“She isn’t taking my baby!” he screamed, his hands frantically pulling on his own hair as his face began to flood with hot tears.

“It’s okay,” said a panicked Levi, reaching for the boy’s arms only to be roughly shoved away. 

“You. Get fucking back.” Levi obeyed and took a few steps away from him, his eyes noting the swirling flames forming around Eren’s fists. “All of you!” He made eye contact with both Mikasa and Armin, his wet eyes wild with hysteria and rage. The two mirrored Levi and stepped back. “Stay the fuck away from me,” he said, his voice cold and threatening, the ground beginning to shake violently beneath his feet. The three soldiers lost their footing and fell, dust beginning to cloud the campsite with a foreboding veil of dirt. 

And he ran.


	19. How to Catch an Avatar

“I can’t believe my best soldier lost him…”

“Erwin, it wasn’t safe to go anywhere near the kid! I told you. His emotions got the better of him and so did his bending. It’s like it wasn’t even him… he even threatened his childhood friends.”

“So, basically, he’s a ticking time bomb,” said the Commander, swirling wine around a glass before he took a sip. Levi was holding a cup of tea. 

“Yeah.”

“What made him snap?” 

“He thinks he’s…” Levi really didn’t want to be the one to break the news. He took a deep breath and looked to the Commander. “He’s knocked up.”

Erwin dropped the wine, glass shattering on his desk.

“Those bastards. I knew the MPs were low, but this is truly a new level.” Levi cocked a brow.

“I’m sorry, Erwin, but didn’t you fuck him yourself? How do you even know you aren’t the father?” 

“Protection was used. I never intended him to ever conceive. He was simply a weapon that needed motivating.” Levi scoffed. 

“You’re sick.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to save humanity. If that makes me sick, so be it. The cause requires sacrifices. You know this.” Erwin’s confidence remained impenetrable, but Levi was losing faith. If Eren had to be used and abused like this, was humanity really worth it? The pragmatic side of him understood. But the fact was, a fifteen year old kid, whom he undeniably cared for, was being completely destroyed and things were only getting worse. Plus, what if Erwin’s plan didn’t work and they put him through hell for nothing? “Now, about the boy. Obviously he must be recaptured. But it wont be as easy to trap him as before.” 

“He’s an unpredictable ball of fury, so no, I doubt it will be. Not with those powers manifesting the way they are.” Levi picked up his cup of tea and dusted Erwin’s shards of glass off the bottom. “Tch.”

“Mind if I interrupt?” asked Hange, bursting through the door without warning. 

“You already did,” said Levi, setting down his tea, his eyelids heavy with irritation. 

“Good point! So…” she began, pouring herself a cup of tea, “about the situation with Eren…” Erwin shot a glare to Levi, irritated she knew about this before he did, “his friends are pretty sure they know where he went. If true, we need to get to him before he gets seriously injured, or worse.” Levi eyed the ODM gear leaning on the back wall of the office.

“Let’s get going, then.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Eren had managed to make it back to his home despite his mind being in shambles and his sick stomach. But what he saw was not the soul-warming site he had desperately needed and hoped for. 

Shinanshina was in ruins. There were no signs of life except for titans. 

He fell to his knees, his swollen face too tired to produce anymore tears. He let out a miserable wail, his breath escaping him. 

He was completley and totally devastated. He could only assume his mother was dead. No longer would she gently wake him in the mornings for breakfast. No longer would she trim his hair when it started covering just a little too much of his eyes. No longer would she hold him with those soft, warm arms that shielded him from life’s traumas. 

She would not be there to help him through bringing a new life into the world. She would not be there to see him become a parent. She wont get to feel the comfort in knowing that he’d never let anyone harm his child because he was a force to be wreckoned with now. Even though he wasn’t an Alpha, he was strong. 

She’ll never know that he was the ruler of elements. 

She wont know. 

And nothing, not the beatings, not the rape, the hours upon days of entrapment within four dark walls with no company but his agonizing thoughts, the dehumanization of it all, nothing, will ever hurt more than losing his first love, his protector, his savior; his mother. 

A large titan had spotted him and darted to his location beside the wall entryway. Without a beat, his eyes lit up in anger, death on his tongue as he spouted a hard, relentless wave of fire towards his new whipping boy. The flames agitated the beast, but it did not falter in seeking out its victim and began running to its attacker and hopeful meal. Hardly phased, Eren lifted his hands into the air and stared the titan dead in the eyes as the earth began to shake, knocking the titan onto its back. It was pulling itself up when a nearby building’s foundation began to crumble, ultimately leading to a giant landslide of rubble that engulfed everything in its path— including the titan. Eren lowered his hands and tried to steady his breathing as he numbly watched the debris and dust claim the area. He stood and observed the fruits of his labor until all was silent. 

He could have protected her. He could have saved her.

If it wasn’t for the Survey Corps. The MPs.

Humanity. 

Fuck the greater good. 

He would no longer play nice. No longer allow himself to be treated like a test subject. Like an animal. A beast. 

Nobody would own him. Nobody would control him. Nobody would take the new life his body harbored away from him. 

Anyone who tried would be killed. 

“For the cause,” he bitterly muttered. 

"Hey..."

Eren whipped his head around in surprise. Who the hell would be here? 

He took in the view of two shadowy figures and maintained a strict gaze as they became real human beings with identifiable faces. There were two of them. One, tall and dark haired. The other, bulky and blond. 

"Who the fuck are you? And what do you want?"

"Whoa, calm down. We're friends. And we have a lot in common, from the look of things," said the blond one. Eren's eyes narrowed. 

"You saw, huh?"

"You're pretty incredible," said the dark haired one. 

"I'm flattered," he mumbled, turning back around and starting deeper into the city. The two began to follow him causing Eren to turn back around, his eyes threatening. 

"I wouldn't," he warns, his voice low and gravely. 

"You got it wrong," said the blond, "we don't want to capture you. We want you to join us. As equals." The kid sniffed the air and laughed.

"You're Alphas. You think I'm equal?"

"Yes." The blond didn't hesitate. 

"And why should I join you?"

"Don't you want to be with your remaining family?"

"My family is dead. I only have my adopted sister now."

"One blood relative is still alive." Eren's eyes widened. 

"I don't have any other family." 

"Join us," began the blond, walking closer to the boy, "and we'll take you to the brother your father hid from you."


	20. Into the Wild

Realizing he had nowhere else to go, Eren decided to take the two strangers up on their offer. He was aware it could backfire much like every aspect of his life since presenting had, but now he felt competent in defending himself. Plus, he was exhausted and starving at this point, and they promised shelter and food. So, he took a chance. 

After riding horseback about twenty miles, they arrived at the destination, which was something of a tree house in a forest on the outskirts of Eren’s hometown. The two had obviously been living here for a while now. Inside, there were chairs, a pot for boiling, a small stove, and other really normal things found in an average household. The blond, whom was named Reiner, went over to the pot and grabbed a bowl from a large pail of water and poured what looked like soup.

“Here,” he said, handing it to Eren, “I can tell you’re hungry. And…” he looked to the kid’s stomach, “and eating for more than just yourself.” Eren took the bowl, an impressed look on his face.

“How can you tell I’m carrying?” The tall brunet, Bertholt, smiled at him as if his innocence was endearing. 

“Alphas can smell it. You’re a few weeks along,” said Bertholt. 

“Shit. You guys have all the cool skills,” he muttered, sipping on the soup. He gave the small amount a minute to settle. Hopefully he’d be able to hold food down again.

“I don’t know. I’d say you have us beat when it comes to skills,” said Reiner. Eren gave him a tired look and took another sip. “We’re really happy you decided to join us. With your help, I know we can make things right in the world again.” Eren’s expression turned irritated. “We’ll go at your pace, of course. We expect nothing more of you than to take it easy until your baby is born. We’ll make sure you have plenty to eat and are taken care of.” The boy was too drained to argue. 

The three sat quietly for a few minutes while Eren ate. In the horizon, a large titan was approaching. Eren rose to his feet and stared it down, preparing himself. 

“Relax. You don’t have to worry about that one.” 

The large titan got closer, revealing a grotesque monkey-like face, as if from a horror movie, and a huge, furry body. Just as soon as he appeared, he disappeared into a huge cloud of steam, a rowdy wind following and reaching the opening of the treehouse. Eren stared in confusion and shock. Reiner watched him as his brown hair blew behind his head, revealing his entire face, turqouise eyes catching the light. He couldn’t help but stare at such an angel. If only he wasn’t taken, he thought. 

Once the steam began to clear, the sound of the hanging rope bumped and bounced as someone obviously began climbing up. Two hands appeared and pulled up the body of the man, his hair white-blond and messy, his face donning glasses. Once fully inside, he immediately took notice of Eren. He looked completely and totally dumbstruck. Falling to his knees, a tear ran down his face and he continued taking in the heavensent sight before him, eyes glued to the sitting Omega. Eren, hardened and bitter, wasn’t moved and cocked a brow at the display.

“Um, are you okay?”

“Eren. It’s really you.” He stepped closer to the boy. “You… you look nothing like him.”

“Who?”

“Our father.” 

“Uhhh…” 

“Look what he’s done to you.” The man sadly looked to Eren, already aware of his element bending. “He’s made you a monster. Just like he did me.”

“Okay, wait. Just wait. Wait, wait, wait.” He stood up. “Sorry, but this is a lot to take in. What’s your name?”

“Zeke.”

“You’re really my brother?”

“Half-brother. We have the same dad only. Now, look. It’s important you find your mate so we can keep him safe. My brother will not lose the father of his child to the madness.” Eren sighed.

“I don’t have a mate.” Zeke’s face reddened. So did Reiner’s, but the reason wasn't the same. 

“Tell me who did this to you, Eren. I will hunt him down and destroy him. What kind of piece of shit Alpha does this!?”

“Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I can take care of myself. And if I wanted him dead, he would be.”

“So you’re just going to give birth to a bastard child?” Eren huffed and walked up to his brother, his hands involuntarily shaking out of instant rage. 

“Call my child that word again and I’ll roast your fingers. Got it?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I don’t want my brother treated like this. It hurts me. To see what the world has done to you.” He really had no idea. "All I want anymore is to save you. Protect you."

“I’ll be fine,” he said quietly, looking to his feet. If he was trying to crack him, it wasn't going to work. “What did you mean we had to keep my mate safe?”

“The world within the walls will soon be decimated,” said Reiner, taking the opportunity to end the awkward conversation between the two Yeagers. “We all have to get out of here. And soon.”

“And where do you suggest we go?” asked Eren, sarcasm heavy on his tongue.

“To a place without titans. Beyond the walls.” The boy’s eyes widened. “Our hometown,” said Bertholt, blushing as he looked to Eren. 

“You… why did you come here? If it’s so dangerous…”

“For you,” said Zeke, his voice soft. Eren locked gazes with his brother, trying to assess his sincerity. Was he for real? 

“Listen. Even if you’re telling me the truth… I can’t go. Not without my friends.” Zeke laid both of his hands on Eren’s shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze, his eyes determined and serious. 

“Then take us to them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order to get to his friends, Eren will have to go through the Survey Corps. This could prove pretty problematic... 
> 
> Not to mention stressful on the baby. 
> 
> Is this hothead just a little too hot?
> 
> Will the hothead tolerate Levi? Does he even like him? 
> 
> Oh god, how will ZEKE tolerate Levi? ?
> 
> Will Eren kill Erwin???
> 
> Will Eren EVER learn airbending or is he too much of a stubborn little shit ?????
> 
> Will Reiner TAP that ?????
> 
> Will there be even MORE chainssSS ???????
> 
> Find out next time on "THE BOY IN CHAINS" BY ROSYTINTEDFLASH !!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> !!!!!


	21. The Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to hate me for this chapter. i work in education so i'm used to it. ;)
> 
> but yeah. violence and angst up ahead. please always bear in mind that this story was never meant to be all butterflies and rainbows. it's angst porn above all else. 
> 
> that said, thank you for all the hits, comments, and kudos! i write mostly for me and am not really influenced by what readers want (i find that waters things down), but it's awesome that others like it, too! i hope you continue to enjoy xx.

“Wow, your hometown really took a beating.” 

“Yeah.” After resting up for a few days and nursing his weak stomach, he and his brother set off for Shingashina. Bertholdt and Reiner stayed in the forest to tend to other things, everyone assuming that a Titan and an Avatar would could take well enough care of themselves. They had just arrived, and the sight was as depressing as it had been before. Eren’s knees were weak and his head cloudy all of a sudden, his weight becoming unsteady on his feet. 

“Hey,” said Zeke, worry audible in his voice, “let’s take a break. Sit down.” Thankful that his brother suggested just what he needed so he didn’t have to, he lowered himself to the ground and focused on his breathing. “I really wish you wouldn’t have come. I would have been happy to retrieve your friends for you.” Eren cut his eyes towards him. 

“I’m capable. Thanks.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t. But Eren, you have to start thinking about your health.” Zeke pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to the boy. “That baby inside of you can only take so much stress and physical labor. I don’t want you overdoing it.” His words hit Eren like a wrecking ball. It was because of how true they were. 

“I know,” he said, his voice cracking. Zeke frowned and wrapped his arms around the tiny, stubborn lump of Omega. 

“Don’t worry, baby brother. You aren’t alone anymore.” Eren’s tense body began to relax in his arms, the tough facade finally starting to give. He still wasn’t completely sold that he could trust Zeke, but god did he want to. Hearing himself called ‘brother’ made his heart ache for more. More moments like this with him. More memories. More closeness. Brother. His brother. Eren’s stiff, angry face crumbled into a visual of the pain he felt inside. He let himself cry in front of Zeke. He let himself sob. 

“I… I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he cried between breaths, “I can’t take care of myself. How am I supposed to care for a baby? I’m so fucked up, Zeke. You don’t even know just how fucked up I am. How broken I am. I’ve felt nothing but darkness for so long now.” 

“I understand you more than you think, Eren. My life has also been filled with darkness. We can thank our father for that,” he said, anger flickering in his eyes. 

“I would have been an Omega with or without dad. I was destined to suffer.”

“You didn’t have to be over here, Eren. You could have been somewhere safe. Instead, he forced you to be a part of his big experiment. He used you to benefit himself. I’m so sorry for it. But at least you finally know somebody who understands.” He didn’t know what Zeke was talking about, and he half thought he was a little on the insane side. He wasn’t making much sense. But he chose to keep quiet about it for now and just enjoy the warmth of his embrace. “… are those your friends?” asked his brother, eyes narrowed towards Wall Rose. Eren jerked away from Zeke and shot his vision towards the same location. 

“Oh, fuck off,” he said through lingering tears, wiping them away with his sleeve. 

It was Levi, Erwin, Hange, and Mike. 

There was little doubt why they were there. Operation recapture Shitty Avatar Bender Omega was apparently in full effect. Eren whipped his head back to Zeke. 

“Don’t transform into a Titan.” 

“I will if they threaten us…”

“No. They will kill you.” Zeke opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by the sound of a bullet. They both jumped and realized it had hit inches away from Eren. “What the hell!” he shouted. “Fucking bullets!? Really?” His demeanor approached hysteria as he angrily stared at the man shooting. 

Atop Wall Rose, Erwin lowered his gun and winced, trying to decide if it had made contact or not. It hadn’t. 

“Damn it,” he muttered as he loaded another shell. Except it wasn’t a shell. The bullets weren’t bullets. But darts. The intention wasn’t to kill, but restrain. The second a dart hit, Eren would become somewhat paralyzed within about five minutes. He’d be able to move and he’d be partly awake, but he definitely wouldn’t be able to put up a fight. Erwin had purposefully armed both himself and Levi with them, though Levi tried to resist; he wasn't keen on the idea of shooting at Eren, regardless of what it was. Nevertheless, the group buckled down, casting aside differences of opinion, and focused on the mission. But there was a slight miscalculation in the plan. 

“Who the fuck is that guy with him?” asked Levi, his eyes incredulous. 

Zeke pushed Eren to the ground and bolted towards the base of the wall. Once satisfied with the distance separating the two, he bit on his hand until blood was drawn. An explosion of steam encircled him until he vanished, the gigantic, hairy titan from before taking Zeke’s place. 

The explosion had battered the people on the wall. Hange and Mike were injured and struggled to get up, leaving Erwin and Levi with the bulk of the mission. Levi dusted off his shoulder and let out an exasperated sigh. Erwin pulled out one of his blades and pointed it to the titan. 

“Go.” Levi’s eyes widened. “Distract that thing. Kill it, if you can.” The Commander fought to get a decent visual of Eren. “I’ll get the bender.” The two scaled down the wall, their paths diverging as they neared the ground. Levi lunged at the titan and managed to carve into a decent portion of its left leg. Zeke roared in pain and swatted at the tiny attacker, Levi struggling to avoid the blow but successful, nonetheless. 

After gauging the situation to his satisfaction, Eren gritted his teeth and began creating sparks with his hands, but realized he was out of range to make contact with Levi. He started running closer to the two sparring but a sharp pain to the side of his neck stopped him in his tracks. He immediately reached to his neck, wondering how much longer he’d survive now that a bullet had hit such a vulnerable region of his body. But he didn’t feel a bullet hole. Or blood. It was a dart. Of course, he thought. He turned to see Erwin running towards him like his life depended on it as he pulled the needle from his flesh. 

“Eren! Get out of here!” Zeke screamed from his titan form and threw large pieces of boulder at Erwin, just narrowly missing him. He was about to charge towards the Commander when Levi reminded him of his own presence with a powerful slice way too close to the nape for comfort and he redirected his attention. He couldn’t save Eren if he was dead. 

“Did you… speak?” asked Levi, slightly dumbfounded. He was snapped out of it as the titan locked eyes with him, ready to pounce. The two continued their duel while Erwin worked on catching the Omega. 

Eren realized his body was becoming less responsive to his wishes and gave in to Zeke’s demand. He ran as fast as his wobbly legs would take him and turned a few corners, trying to throw Erwin off as much as he could, while he could. He eventually walked into an old bar, quietly closing the door behind him. Once enclosed and his body finally still, the tranquilizer began overpowering his adrenaline and he finally allowed himself to collapse onto the hard, dusty floor, wheezing in exhaustion. A few minutes passed and he only grew weaker, and his mind, cloudier. But, he hoped he had hidden well enough. Maybe he was safe. Maybe Zeke was on his way to find him right now and the Survey Corps had embraced defeat. 

The door creaked open in slow motion and the silhouette of a large man was revealed in the doorway. 

“Ah. There you are.” 

No. It was Erwin. 

He slowly made his way to a struggling Eren, the boy doing his best to get to his feet so he could pummel this asshole into oblivion. But his limbs were simply too much like puddy. He was back to square one. 

Defenseless. 

“Ugh. I’m sorry those pathetic MPs impregnated you,” he said in a low, scary tone, “Luckily, that’s fairly reversible.” Erwin smiled and leaned down to Eren’s level. He reached out and gently grazed his flushed cheek. “So beautiful.” Eren’s breath suddenly escaped him and he reflexively rolled into a ball, his face wincing in pain. Erwin had punched him in the stomach. He felt that same sensation several more times, the Commander eventually standing and kicking him instead, each blow harder than the last. His rage wasn’t only directed at his stomach; his violence spiraled and he kicked all over until Eren no longer fought. He was laying on his side, his face resting in a pool of blood coming from his mouth and nose, utterly and soul crushingly defeated. Steam weakly escaped from the injuries. Erwin was pulling out one of his blades when the door creaked open yet again. 

“What the fuck are you doing!?” Erwin turned to face an outraged Levi. 

“Is the titan vanquished?”

“Hange and Mike came to and are holding it off. I thought I’d check on this situation. And I’m sure as fuck glad I did.” He pushed past Erwin and leaned down to Eren, appalled at the damage he had taken. What happened to being professional? Pragmatic? This wasn’t even close to necessary, thought Levi, his anger manifesting in his body language. He turned his head back to Erwin. “I should really kill you for this.”

“He can't stay pregnant, Levi. Let’s get him back to headquarters so we can make sure he isn’t. Then we can clean him up. His health regenerates, remember? He’ll be fine.” Levi didn’t budge, his eyes showing a rare emotion. He was pissed. “Come on. Hand him over.” 

“I won’t,” asserted Levi. Erwin raised a brow. He had never rejected his demands before. Not since he had officially recruited him. 

“Disobeying me?” Levi couldn’t control himself for another second and charged at his leading officer, pulling an off guard Erwin to the ground. 

“That is my baby, you stupid son of a bitch!” Erwin’s eyes widened. “And Eren is a human being. Get it? Human. Nobody deserves what you just did to him,” he continued, a sharp punch landing squarely on Erwin’s face, busting his lip. “I should do to you exactly what you did to him!”

“Levi…”, he said, touching the blood dripping from his mouth, “your… your emotions are getting the better of you. I understand. But it’s time to snap out of this. We have a mission to complete.” 

“I won't watch idly as you hurt this boy any longer,” he said decisively. "Eren will take no more damage as long as I'm still breathing."

“Last chance,” began Erwin, his eyes narrowing and his voice icy, “Snap. Out. Of it. Don't let your dick cloud your judgement.” Levi clandestinely pulled a dart from his pocket and stabbed it directly into the vein on Erwin’s neck, the Commander instantly pushing him back in response. Hitting a vein directly meant a quicker effect, and Erwin’s body was already showing symptoms. Levi elbowed him in the face, hard, watching emotionlessly as he keeled over and moaned out at the impact, fruitlessly fighting the spreading effects of the tranquilizer. 

“You were right. It was a pretty good idea to have a second person carry darts.” 

He walked over to a half awake Eren and pulled off his uniform jacket, using it to soak up the blood leaking from the boy's face. 

"No more," he said, dabbing gently at the wounds, "I won't turn my back to your misery. I know a 'sorry' would never cut it, and once you're healed, you are one hundred percent entitled to bend the shit out of me. I'll take it happily. If I'm still alive, I'll leave you alone. Forever. I'll kill Erwin. The entire Military. Whatever you want. I'll do it." He reached out a hand to Eren's stomach and gently stroked it over his shirt. He closed his eyes, his face wearing a pained expression. 

"Don't," weakly whispered Eren, his unfocused eyes doing their best to reach Levi's. 

"What? Don't what?"

"Leave." Levi laid himself down behind Eren's back, resting his chin on the boy's tired head. He wrapped his arms around him, blood and dirt transferring to his clothes. He wasn't phased like he would normally be.

"As you wish."


	22. The Brother and The Lover

Levi stayed wrapped around Eren for about half an hour before the two decided it was time to get out of there. It would be a matter of time before more Scouts showed up. Levi carried Eren, his head snuggled into the Alpha’s chest and his legs dangling over the captain’s arm. First order of business, thought Levi, was to get somewhere at least reasonably safe. He was sure Eren needed a lot of rest and care, especially if… the baby was gone. Levi tried his best to push the thought to the back of his mind and began the trek. After a lot of miserable walking, the beating sun beginning to set, Levi settled on a small cave beside a riverbank. He threw his Scout jacket on the ground and shoved generous amounts of leaves under it as a bed before looking to an out of it Eren, his body leaning on the wall of the cave, eyes tensely closed. The kid was holding his stomach, a strained look on his face. His hair was sticking to his head as lines of sweat stained his glistening face. 

“Hey. Lay down right here. I’ll get you some water,” said an anxious Levi, his hands motioning towards the makeshift bed. “Is it… is it the baby?” Eren opened his eyes, not making contact with the captain, preferring the stone wall infront of him. 

“It hurts. Like knives,” he managed to say in a quiet, voiceless tone. Levi frowned, knowing what that probably meant. 

“I brought along some painkillers. They’d have to be injected, but there’s no reason you should suffer all night like this.” 

“No. That could hurt the baby.” Levi felt his heart rip in two. He wasn’t sure if Eren really didn’t know, or if he was in denial. It could really go either way, he thought. It was easy to forget, but Eren was just a child. Only fifteen years old. He was so strong, so brave, so incredible, so beautiful… but behind all that, he was just a scared, confused kid. Levi walked to the boy and pulled him into his arms, worried about how rigid his body felt. His muscles were contorting and shaking and his skin was pale. He was placed on the cushiony area of the bed, his form immediately falling into a stiff fetal position. 

“Please, Eren. Take the painkillers. I promise, they wont hurt the baby.” He was willing to say whatever he had to to get this child out of pain. 

“You swear?”

“Yes.” 

“Okay.” Levi cradled the boy’s wrist and inserted the medicine directly into the vein, relieved as Eren’s body began to relax, his eyes no longer looking so downcast and pained. The captain took a first complete exhale since before the mission began. Before the boy fell asleep, Levi made him drink some water. He wanted him to eat, but he could tell he wouldn’t last long enough for him to prepare a meal. He hadn’t even gone fishing, yet. So, he let him sleep. 

Levi was woken in the early hours of the morning by hysterical wails. He shot up and didn’t see Eren on the bed. In a frenzy, he jumped to his feet and ran outside the cave, and there he was. Eren’s healing ability had repaired his wounds from yesterday, the only evidence left being dried blood. But now there was new blood soaking in the backside of Eren’s pants. Levi felt himself growing faint as he approached him— titan blood was a cake walk compard to this. Human blood, especially the blood of someone he cared for, was absolutley nauseating. But he knew he had to be strong. Eren deserved that. 

“Talk to me,” said Levi, his voice low and sympathetic. Eren was standing right beside the river, facing the water, his legs shaking as he stood. He turned around to face the Alpha, revealing a puffy face and the saddest eyes Levi had ever seen. The once lively blue-green had faded like dead stars. 

“You… you lied. The injection…”

“Eren…”

“You killed our baby,” he said, sad tears quickly turning into angry ones as he took a step forward, “I was a fool for thinking you were actually on my side.” 

“No! You’re wrong. It was already too late… Please, calm down…”

“I’m finished being calm,” he spat, stepping even closer. His hands rose above his head to collect two balls of fire, his hands swiftly combining them into one huge force. Without a beat, he shot the flames straight down the path leading to Levi, the blow scorching the side of his rib cage as he dodged. The Alpha fell to his knees and winced. 

“Eren!” Zeke was running towards the two in human form, his body wildly steaming. “I couldn’t find you!” He ran up to his brother. He noticed Levi but he seemed passive and injured, so he directed his attention to Eren before doing anything else. He didn’t seem like himself at all; his eyes were feral and his teeth beared, breathing erratic. But it was too much for him and he soon began collapsing in slow motion, Zeke grabbing him and carefully taking him to the ground. Eren laid down and his aggressive breathing morphed into overwhelmed panting, saliva dripping down his chin, the pain of the miscarriage dominating his mind yet again. Still not sure exactly what was wrong, Zeke quickly examined Eren, not seeing any noticable wounds. Of course, a more thorough exam cleared up any confusion— blood was leaking all down his backside, his pants drenched in dark red. He turned his attention to Levi.

“You fucking piece of shit,” he growled. Zeke pulled a knife from his pocket and approached Levi, still recovering from the burns. 

“It wasn’t me. I would never, ever do this to Eren,” said Levi, his eyes showing zero signs of the empathy he claimed to have, eyes still seemingly bored, his voice monotone, “Please. Put the knife away. I have abandoned the Survey Corps. We can’t help Eren if we’re too busy fighting. He could die from blood loss. We have to…” He was cut off by a solid punch to the jaw, his teeth clicking together at the collision. He wasn’t phased. 

“I… I know a doctor. We have to get him to her as quickly as possible. Settle your issue with me later.” Zeke glared at him, ready to continue his attack, but a terrified look suddenly struck Levi’s eyes. For the first time, he recognized human emotion. It was directed towards Eren. Zeke turned around to see a still Eren, no longer struggling, no longer crying in pain. 

“Eren!” He ran over to him and felt his pulse. It was there. And he would do anything in his power no to lose it. Even if it meant working with his enemy. He turned his head to Levi, who looked frightened by Eren’s state. Zeke pulled an unconscious Eren into his arms. “Do you have a horse?” 

“Two, including Erwin’s.”

“Then let’s go.” Levi walked over to a begrudged Zeke, passing him and heading to the direction of his horse.

“This way.” They started walking, a quick pace set. They were silent for a few minutes. 

“Just don’t think I’m finished with you,” said Zeke. 

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter seems super short after the last one. my next chapter will be a long one, so it will probably take a bit. we'll see how my week goes!


	23. Turning Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter should be up quickly. already made quite a dent into it. i quite enjoy writing zeke and levi scenes. they just hate each other so much. <3

“Hange,” uttered Levi, quietly opening her door, almost whispering, “I need your help.” 

“Levi! You can’t… you’re wanted, Levi. Surely you know that.” Levi didn’t even flinch.

“Of course. But this isn’t about me. Eren is dying. He’s your precious experiment, right?” 

“What!? What happened?”

“I’ll explain after you help him. Priorities must be considered.”

“Yes. Okay.”

——————————————————————————————————————

Levi and Zeke had been waiting a few hours now in Hange’s living room while she tended to Eren in her home lab. To call it ‘awkward’ would be putthing things lightly. 

“Uh… so. What’s it like being a titan?” 

“You don’t seem like the type to enjoy small talk.”

“That’s a very astute observation. I guess I was just trying to be friendly. It’s really a waste of time, isn’t it?”

“Yep.” The two looked to each other, neither particularly impressed, and Levi promptly went back to the book he was reading. Zeke huffed. “Look. I’ve mulled it over. I don’t think you did this to Eren.”

“No shit. You really are astute, aren’t you?” Levi rolled his eyes. “Tch. I guess I should be thankful you didn’t kill me with your freakish titan shifting ability.”

“Maybe I’m the one who should be thankful. It took a bit, but now I know who you are. You’re that ‘humanity’s strongest’ guy, aren’t you? I didn’t realize you’d be so…” Levi shot him a threatening glance, “Uh… fun sized?” 

“Yeah, well. Nice glasses, shitdick.” 

“Anyone ever told you that you aren’t very pleasant?” 

“Oh, and I guess you’re just Marry fuckin’ sunshine where you come from?” counterd Levi, venom thick on his tongue. So far, he really wasn’t sure what to think of Zeke. He knew nothing about him aside for the supposed fact that he was Eren’s brother. Well, there was also the fact that he wanted to punch the scruffy bastard in the face, but he was doing his best to play nice. He tried his best to remember that the guy had a perfectly sound reason to dislike him. 

“Look,” began Zeke, “Let’s just cut to the chase. We don’t trust each other. Like, I can’t figure it out. Why do you care so much about Eren? Are you like your giant blond friend? What weird experiments do you want him for? I just don’t get it. It’s been bothering me.” Zeke ran a hand through his hair, his eyes pensive. Levi looked to a wall, the circles under his eyes seeming to darken; he clutched a shoulder with one of his hands and sighed. “It’s not that you… like him or anything, is it?” Levi closed his eyes. He really wasn’t in the mood for this conversation. 

“I’m just tired of seeing him treated badly. I guess I have basic human empathy or some shit. Maybe that isn’t something you can understand.” 

“Tell me one thing,” said Zeke, his body bluntly facing Levi now, his eyes making direct, if uncomfortable contact with the ‘former’ captain. Levi met his gaze with just as much confidence as the other; if not more. The little guy wasn’t exaclty one to scare easily; not when it didn’t come to the wellbeing of Eren himself, anyway. Which was a new and weird thing to realize. 

“Well? What is it, then?” Levi’s eyes didn’t waver in their aire of dominance; he was letting Zeke feel in control, and this was all part of his tactic. Manipulative? Yes. For Eren? Completely. Guilt did not riddle his conscience regarding anyone other than the elusive Bender he was becoming more and more dedicated to protecting. 

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” began Zeke, his face tensing, “… you were the father, weren’t you?” 

Levi knew this question was coming. He had already decided how to answer.

With the truth. 

“The baby was mine,” he said, his voice steady and sure. Zeke’s color drained and his stomach dropped, light nausea following. “That probably isn’t what you wanted to hear. But it is what you already knew. The truth is… I care a great deal for him. You can hate me all you want, but. I gave up everything for him. And I will continue to do so. For as long as I need to. I’m not saying that excuses my past mistakes. I don’t expect Eren to. But there it is. The truth. For what it’s worth. Which may be nothing at all. But, I owe you that much.” Levi’s eyes went from wide and genuine to a narrow apathy. “But that’s all I owe you. Don’t expect anything else.”

Zeke said nothing for an awkward amount of time, the silence between the two palpable. Levi had returned his attention to his book. 

“Just know,” said Zeke, after a thorough analysis, “if Eren say so… I will kill you. No second thoughts.”

“And I respect that. It may be the only respectable thing about you, actually.”

They turned their attention to the lab door as it swung open, Hange appearing from behind it. She looked exhausted, but thrilled. 

“He’ll be fine.” She smiled and tossed the gloves she was wearing into a small trash can near the door. 

“Hange, you can’t tell Erwin he’s here,” said Levi, not wasting a second. She had a knowing look on her face. 

“Why?”

“Because he did this to Eren. He beat the living shit out of him all to kill the embryo.” Levi’s eye twitched in anger. 

“Yeah, I figured.” 

“Did you know?” Hange shamefully looked away from Levi. 

“Yes. But before you and big brother over here get the fists out, just know that I didn’t think he’d abort… like that. Erwin nearly killed him. I can’t figure out why he’d go that route.” Levi was silent for a moment. 

“Why wasn’t I in on this part of the operation?” Hange’s eyes turned to the former captain’s. 

“You wouldn’t have allowed it,” she said, taking a seat and clasping her hands together, “Not as the father.”

“So you knew. Well, then. That explains it,” said Levi, rising to his feet. 

“Hmm?”

“He beat him just to hurt me. Send me a message.”

“Why would he do that?”

“He wants Eren for himself. And, well. Clearly he wasn’t getting his way.”

“When will he be able to travel?” interjected Zeke, his impatience rising. “I’m taking him with me as soon as he’s able.” Levi glared.

“Oh, within hours, I’m sure. His problems will almost definitely be more mental than physical. His body is an amazing thing.”

“Yeah. It is,” said Levi with a rare smile, enjoying tormenting big brother at any opportunity. Zeke stared daggers his way. He got up and headed to the door leading to Eren.

“Oh, you need to wait,” said Hange, the tension between the two men starting to feel awkward.

“He’s my brother. I’ll go now.”

“He asked for Levi.” 

Oh, boy, did Levi enjoy the expression on Zeke’s face right about now. 

—————————————————————————————————————

Eren was sitting up on the operation table, his lower half steaming lightly. Physically, he was nearly healed. Perfect. Better than before. This kid was a god. That much was obvious to Levi. He tried not to seem anxious when approaching. Why did he want to see him? Over his brother? Maybe he just wanted to kill him. Or maybe he wanted to run away together. He swallowed back the racing thoughts when he reached the bed. Eren was staring at the floor. His body limp, eyes bearing no expression in particular. 

“Hey. You look… great,” said Levi, happy to volunteer as the first speaker. “Do you feel as great as you look?” About twenty seconds passed before Eren slowly turned his head to Levi, his eyes meeting him with a glazed over emptiness. He seemed to be foggy due to medication. 

“That’s a really stupid question.” 

“…So, did you ask for me just so you’d have a human punching bag? If so, I’ll allow it, but the offer expires as soon as you’re doing better.” Levi wore a fond look on his face. “But I have to warn you, I’ve been known to hold grudges.”

“If I was wearing boots, I’d be shaking in them,” said Eren, still looking a bit dazed. 

“You know, you’re wittier than you look.” 

“And you’re weaker than you look.” Levi looked confused. 

“What does that mean?” 

“You gave up your title. Didn’t you? For me.” The older man did his best to look unflustered. “Eh, captain?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I was going to leave that dumb organization anyway. Erwin’s been spiraling out of control for a while now.” 

“You loved the Survey Corps. It was everything to you…”

“Not quite everything,” Levi interrupted, his eyes glued to the window across from Eren’s bed. He realized he was being a cheesey moron right now, but he couldn’t help it. Something about those freakishly large teal eyes brought it out of him. Levi turned to look at the kid only to find large trails of tears flowing down his cheeks. “Are you in pain? Should I go get Hange?” Levi was heading to the door but Eren waved him off. 

“I’m fine. But our baby isn’t,” he croaked, burrying his head into his hands. Levi crawled onto the bed and pulled Eren’s head to his shoulder, letting his fingers gently play with the kid’s soft, brown hair. 

“Shhhh. It’s going to be alright,” he said, his voice low and soft, “Nothing like that will ever happen again. I promise you.” 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” he mumbled, digging his head into the crook of Levi’s neck. 

“Excuse me,” a voice interrupted, the two on the bed jumping slightly. It was Zeke, and he didn’t look particularly happy with the sight he was taking in. He sighed. Levi let his hands travel down Eren’s body, until they were on his waist. Zeke was pretty sure this asshole had a death wish. “Alright, kids, enough footsie.”

“I don’t remember anyone sending for you,” spat Levi. 

“Hange has disappeared. I doubt that’s a good thing for us.” Eren’s eyes widened and looked to Levi, who hardly looked worried. He was pretty sure it was a front, however. 

“Looks like it’s time to head out, then,” he said, pulling away from Eren. The kid whined a bit at the sudden loss of heat. Levi couldn’t help but smile at that reaction— Eren was getting attached. Not that Levi wanted an Omega or anything. Especially not one that was this much trouble. 

But fuck did he enjoy that reaction. 

“No. My friends…” said Eren, his body tensing. 

“Eren, now is not a good time. We need to lay low a while,” said Zeke. 

"You will lay low here," said Hange, walking through the door only to quickly close it. She had a big paper brown bag in her hands and sat it on the ground, revealing the contents. There was cheese, bread, sugar, flour, and a few other useful resources. Hange looked to Levi, who looked like he had just seen a ghost. "Don't look so surprised, shorty." 

"Thank you, Hange," he said, paying her back with a smile. Her eyes were warm as she returned the smile. There was more than warmth, though. Levi detected a hint of worry. He didn't want Eren to notice, so he ushered for her to come right next to him. "Tell me what's wrong," he whispered. 

"Oh, good. I love secrets being told right in front of me," snapped Eren, rolling his eyes. 

"Unless you want to hear about my bowel troubles, I suggest you allow us to speak privately," countered Levi, rubbing his side. 

"Yeah, my stomach can't handle that. Zeke, let's go for a walk? You don't even want to know about Levi's gross obsession with detailed fecal descriptions." Zeke walked out the door with him, making a point to make eye contact with Levi before closing the door behind him. Levi shrugged but looked serious, as if to hint that he'd fill him in later. Once the door was closed, Hange broke her silence. 

"Moblit's the one who met me with those supplies..."

"And?"

"Word has spread about Eren. Everyone knows he is an Avatar, and they know he has escaped. The Military Police is offering huge rewards for his return." 

"So we'll keep him hidden."

"There's more." Levi's eyes narrowed. She hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the fabric of her cape. 

"Just tell me. What is it?"

"Kenny is going to kill Eren's friends if he isn't returned within a week. And it gets worse, if you can believe it. All military-owned omegas will be punished for his disobedience. Every day he doesn't show up, they will be harmed, though how isn't known."

"Oh, god." 

"It's time to come up with a plan. Like old times," she said quietly, forcing a light smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes traveled from the floor to her fiery brown ones. 

"I'll do anything."


	24. Rat in a Cage

“He can’t know.” 

“No shit,” said Levi to a pissed off Zeke. “If he finds out, he’ll go into suicidal hero mode and bust into the MP facility, hands blazing. Literally. Blazing. He’ll probably set himself on fire, the flames would be so big and out of control. He’s not the brightest when he’s pissed off.” 

“He’s a fifteen year old enslaved omega with confusing magical powers who just suffered a traumatic miscarriage. I’d say he has a right to be pissed off,” responded Zeke with a huff. 

“Hey, don’t get me wrong. I mean, I love the kid,” he said, trying to sound casual, “but he can be very head strong.” Zeke looked to the floor. He knew Levi was right. 

“His hormones will be terribly out of wack,” said Hange, breaking her thoughtful silence. “I think we’ve all learned not to underestimate omegas and that they’re fully functional human beings, but we have to consider the biological factors.”

“Yeah,” said Levi, crossing his arms, “none of us will ever understand what he’s feeling right now. Fucking Erwin.”

“It’s not just the miscarriage. His body will be desperate for the presence of an Alpha now.”

“What, you mean another heat? So soon?” asked Levi, his voice breaking. 

“No, not a heat, really. He’ll just crave the comfort. So…” Hange looked to Levi, an amused look on her eyes, “I know you’re not really the ‘cuddly” type, but, give the kid some extra affection.”

“Why me?” 

“Well, to begin with, you can’t be seen in town. There’s quite a bounty on your tiny ass, as well.” He looked annoyed and dumbfounded. Of course there was. “But more importantly, the baby he lost was yours. I’d say he’s already shown that he wants you around when he asked to see you before anyone else.” Zeke scoffed, turning to face the window. “Eventually, Levi, he will not be able to control himself. He will seek out another child. His hormones will dominate him completely.” He gulped. “Hopefully, I can get my hands on some blockers before it gets bad, but there’s something of a shortage. It wont be easy to get them.”

“Look, I like Eren, I think we all know that. But… I’m not his mate. I don’t want a mate. I can’t—”

“You’re damn right you aren’t his mate. But you did fuck up and knock him up, which I still want to kill you for, but Hange and I are the only two who can show their faces. So, here’s what you’re going to do. You’ll stay with Eren and protect him. You’ll comfort him.” He was still staring out the window. His words didn’t sound too enthusastic. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll take care of him.” Zeke turned around, his eyes immediately darting to Levi’s.

“You will not sleep with him. Or touch him inappropriately. I wont allow my brother to be taken like that again, not until he’s with a proper mate.” Levi offered no change of the bored expression worn on his face. “And that will never be you.” 

“Be careful. I’m very baited by challenges.” Zeke stormed up to Levi and grabbed him by his collar, only becoming more infuriated when Levi’s expression still remained the same, looking utterly unphased. He even let out a light chuckle. “Oh, big brother. You really don’t want to fight me.”

“Okay, boys, that’s enough,” she said, stepping between the two, “I have to get to work. We’ve managed to capture some titans… and I… have some experiments to do.” Hange’s mouth was practically watering. Levi shot a look of curiosity to Zeke, who was glaring at him. What would happen to him if they knew about his titan powers? Levi was pretty sure Zeke wasn’t keen on spilling. “I’ll get back with you on the plan I’m cooking up when I return. Your job right now is to make sure nobody comes to my house, got it?” With that, Hange left, locking the door behind her, leaving, yet again, the unlikely duo together with only each other’s company.

“Is Eren still sleeping?” asked Zeke.

“I haven’t heard a peep out of Hange’s bedroom, so I think so. I’m glad he’s getting some rest.” Zeke nodded and headed for the door.

“I have to go check on my group and take care of a few things. I’ll send one of my warriors back in my place for the time being. It seems things are relatively under control for the moment.”

“Warriors?” Levi scoffed. “That’s cute. And ‘under control’? Yeah. Eren’s safe, but his friends and the other omegas aren’t.”

“But he doesn’t ever have to know that.” 

“Ah. So you want to just let them suffer and die? And keep it from the kid?” asked Levi, cocking a brow. “Some plan that is.”

“They’re all going to die within these walls regardless,” replied Zeke, pupils icy. 

“What?”

“It doesn’t concern you. You and Eren will be safe,” he continued, his body out of the building now. “Take care of him.” The door slammed shut and now it was just Levi in the living room. He didn’t like the way Zeke was talking to him just now. When he said everyone would die, was he talking about the titans that had breached the wall? Sure, the military was struggling to control the situation, but there was hope. Wasn’t there? But now he’s out of the loop. He wont know how bad things are anymore. He isn’t even completely sure if he can trust Hange. He sighed, frustrated, but knowing the perfect cure for said frustration. He walked into the bedroom and approached the bed. The window was open. Levi’s stomach turned. 

“Eren, I swear to god…” he began frantically pulling the covers off the bed to prove the boy really wasn’t there. And he wasn’t. Only a crumpled piece of paper lay on the blanket. He opened it:

_Do not follow me._

 

Oh, Eren. You always did have a way with words. 

Fuck. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Outside the MP facility, it was dark now, the air thick and cool. Eren looked up the tall stone building, wondering how he could get in. He still hadn’t made any progress with air bending, and right now, that element sure would be useful. He doubted fire or water would be too helpful here. An MP was walking around the building, appearing to be looking for something. Or someone. Eren let out a huff. He considered knocking the guy out and stealing his clothes, but the guy was way bigger than he was; it’d be obvious he was an omega. 

Hope was starting to dwindle as he stared absent-mindedly at the old stones making up the facility. Then, a light went off. The stones. Could he bend them? Could he bend them without causing a scene? He had no idea, but it was the only shot he had. 

He’d take it. 

Eren worked for hours, meticulously bending the stone atom by atom until he was inside and the hole was patched. It didn’t look exactly like it did before, but he hoped nobody would notice. He eyed the mismatched lines and cracked pieces of wall, wincing. There was no time for nitpicking— he had to find his friends. He wondered if maybe they were being kept where he was kept when the MPs captured him. Probably not the same cell, but in that area. He headed down to the dungeon-like area and felt sick at the sight of countless omegas crammed in cages.

“It’s him!” exclaimed a young female omega, not any older than ten. A woman he assumed to be the girl’s mother covered her mouth, her own mouth hanging open in awe. She shushed the girl as multiple other omegas took notice, until the entire area was staring at him. They were silent, shocked. Finally, one omega shoved her way to the front, her face clearly angry. 

“You’re the reason this has been happening,” she hissed. 

“What… what have they done to you?” he asked, his voice uneven and small. 

“We haven’t been fed in three days,” she growled. Eren noticed her legs were unsteady, her ankles shaking. Was she that angry? Or… weak. From no food. “And of course, being stuck in here like sardines is icing on the cake.”

“Turn yourself in,” barked another irritated omega. “My daughter is sick and starving. You have to do it!” He watched in horror as all the omegas around him started murming in agreement.

“If I turn myself in, you still wont be free,” he began, his hands turned into fists, “Sure, you’ll be fed. You’ll get your frilly little omega courters back. Your beds. Your kitchens.” His eyes were full or rage now.

“But you wont be free.” 

“Don’t you see? You were never free.”

“Let me free you.”

The omegas were staring, awestruck. The murming began again, this time full of uncertainty and questioning. Eren was wildly panting now, his heart ready to defeat any army, human and titan alike. And the omegas in the room devoured his fiery ambition. 

“And what if you can’t free us?” asked the first omega who gave him a hard time. Eren noticed they were wearing nametags— hers read ‘Clara’. He tried to steady his breathing, regaining composure as best he could in enemy territory. 

“If I can’t, then I’ll be captured anyway. Whatever I’m gonna do, I’m doing it today. I wont make you wait on me.”

“Are you really an Avatar?” asked a little brunette omega, her eyes wide. He walked over to her, placing his hand on her side of the cage. Her face was covered with a huge smile as the metal began bending, forming a bigger gap between the bars. 

“We can escape! We can run! Let’s go” cried another omega, hysterically clawing her way through the crowd. 

“Are you stupid?” asked another, grabbing her arm. “How do you think a hundred omegas are gonna get out of here with nobody noticing? We’ll be caught.” Everyone hushed at the sound of the entry door creaking open. Eren quickly made the gap wider until he could fit through, and climbed into the cage. He bent it back as well as he could. He knew the other omegas could easily turn him in. They could be fed within seconds. If they’d just turn him in. 

The sound of his heart was beating in tune with the clunking footsteps, both sounds growing louder. He held his breath, his shirt becoming damp with sweat. 

“Thought I heard something weird down here,” said the approaching voice, “was hoping maybe one of you went into heat,” he said with a disgusting smile, licking his lips. 

Clara stepped forward and grabbed Eren’s hand, tossing him to the ground behind her. She glared at the other omegas and they all stepped infront of him right before the approaching MP had a good view of the omegas. 

“Hungry?” he taunted Clara in a faux kind tone. “You know… I could probably get you a few scraps if you’d do a little something for me…” She didn’t respond, her body rigid. “Aw, no?” he laughed and poked his gun through the cage, hitting Clara on her waist. “Don’t forget that I can have you either way, whore. You omegas keep it down. We’re searching for that bitch male omega… distractions need to be low.” He banged the cage with his gun and headed out the door. 

Clara shoved her way to the back of the cage, where Eren was curled up in a ball, appearing to hyperventilate. 

“Yeah,” said Clara, her eyes pained, “there’s not a lot of air in here. We’ve already lost a few who had asthma.” She closed her eyes. Eren sat himself up, his lungs able to process more air now that his back was straight. He controlled the urge to vomit. He caught his breath and put a hand on Clara’s shoulder, returning her sad glance.

"If they find out we're helping you..." she said, her voice breaking. 

"They won't."

The omegas had made their choice. And it was him.

He would do everything in his power to assure they wouldn’t regret it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> literally eren don't need y'all bitches


	25. Kenny Returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow sorry for my bad titles 
> 
> eren centric up ahead! the best centric!
> 
> you probably wont like how this one ends but i live to torture~ enjoy friends

“Have you seen any alphas get taken to cages?” asked Eren. 

“No,” said one of the only male omegas, “I think all types of people were kept down here, though. Before they wanted all the room for us, that is.” 

“Yeah. I remember this place still being full, but the genders and sexes were very mixed. There were hardly any omegas at all, really,” said Eren. Clara looked at him, confused. 

“You’ve been here before?” she asked. He looked at the bars in front of him and ran a finger along one of them. He nodded. Her expression turned to one of understanding. “I wont ask.”

“Thank you,” he whispered. The mere thought of the torture he had gone through at this place was enough to make him yearn for the release of tears, loud sobs, sceams. He wanted to roll into a ball and fall apart. He wanted an alpha to take care of him, to hold him. He thought of Levi and hated himself for it. But there was just no time. Catharsis would have to wait. So many lives depended on him. Some of them impossibly important to him. 

He wondered how much of himself he would still have once all of this was over. 

“Why were you asking about alphas in cages?” asked the young male, snapping Eren out of his daydreaming. His name tag read ‘Oliver’. 

“They’ve been restrained somewhere. According to the Survey Corps.”

“Who?”

“My best friends. Like you, they’re being punished. To get to me.” Eren let out a pained sigh and began bending one of the bars out of place. He started to pull his body through the hole when a hand stopped him. 

“Please,” said the woman, tears in her eyes, “take my son with you.” She tilted her head towards Oliver. “You can’t even begin to understand how much I support you. The idea of being free. I will wait here. All of us will. But…” she looked to her son, frowning at his strained breathing, “Oliver is sick. He needs medical attention. Now. We’ve already lost others. I can’t lose him.” Tears streaked her face as she let out small sobs. 

“Mom, I’ll be okay—” he began before being pulled through the hole by Eren. He stared at the older omega, wideeyed, as he bent the metal back in place. 

“Oh, thank you, Eren,” said the mom between breaths, “Thank you so much.” Eren smiled at her and pulled him along, the boy appearing to be in shock. 

He planned to get Oliver out immediately so he could find a doctor, but he had to check his old cell first. He wanted nothing more than to never step foot into that place again, but he had to make sure Mikasa and Armin weren’t there. He could just bend them out of the bars. Simple. But when has anything been simple? He silently berated himself. You’re a fool. 

They reached the cell in no time. Eren took in a huge breath as the two approached the metal bars, his heart stopping. 

Nobody was there. 

He wanted so badly to cry, but the child with him didn’t need to see it. For some reason, his emotions were beginning to get the better of him. Now isn’t the time, he thought, brushing his hand through his damp hair. Unless those emotions could be directed to his powers… but that wouldn’t work. He had always been taught that emotions were useless. A big part of why omegas were useless. They were too emotional. 

Why was he the one given these powers? Why an omega? One who already had anger problems, at that. He just couldn’t understand it. Mikasa would be so much better at this. Even Armin. But not him. He groaned, turning his head to the small omega he held onto. Oliver frowned, realizing they hadn’t found what Eren had hoped for. 

“Okay. That’s enough of this,” began Eren, wiping back a tear and hoping the child didn’t see, “I’m going to take you to an exit. I came in through that way, so it wont take me too long to bend again. I want you to wait in the omega cages until I’m finished. If I get caught, you wont get caught with me.” Oliver nodded. “I’ll come for you as soon as I’m finished.” 

“Aw, there’s no need for him to hide,” interrupted a familiar voice. Eren’s blood ran cold before he even saw his face. 

“Nile, don’t make me kill you,” he hissed, pushing Oliver behind him. The bender quickly brainstormed possible ways to attack. Earth was out of the question— it’d be too dangerous, especially while in a hurry. There was no water. 

Fire it was. 

He gave Nile zero time to respond, fire shooting with a hard throwing of hands towards the direction of the approaching shadow. Eren growled, letting himself express all of the pent up anger he had been carrying around; he let himself go. The fire lasted a full minute, which was an insane record for him. He was thoroughly exhausted now but was hopeful that Nile was burnt to a crisp. The smoke began to clear and there was silence. Eren frantically searched for a body, but didn’t see one. Had he run off? If so, the alphas would all be on high alert now. If Nile was still there, but hiding, he could possibly overtake Eren due to fatigue. I fucked up, he thought, his face reddening. He nearly broke down again, giving into fear, but chose flight instead, and bolted, Oliver practically dragging on the floor behind him. Eren let out a silent gasp when he no longer felt the child’s hand in his grasp. He turned around to see Nile holding Oliver by the neck. Nile wasn’t smiling, appearing over any games he enjoyed playing before. 

“I’m tired of fucking with you, Eren.” He threw a pair of handcuffs on the ground, just barely missing the bender’s feet. Nile sounded pissed. “Do you even know how much trouble you’ve caused?”

“Give him back,” he demanded, his tone just as livid. Nile pulled a gun from his holster and held it to Oliver’s head. 

“Before you attack, you need to fucking think, kid. If you move, this boy dies.” Eren was frozen. Nile cocked the gun, his eyes narrowed. “Put the handcuffs on and lay on the ground. Do it.” Hanging his head in pure shame, he picked up the cuffs. He looked to Oliver, who actually looked fearless. And so strong. Much stronger than Eren felt. 

“Don’t do it!” Oliver shouted, jerking in Nile’s grasp. 

“Shut up,” yelled Nile, giving the child a rough shove. 

“They need you, Eren! My mom…” Oliver had nothing but conviction on his face, “They all need you!” The child stomped Nile’s foot, managing to escape his hold, a huge smile on his face. Right after, however, he dropped to his knees, stuck in a coughing fit. He was so sick. But still fighting. That was all the motivation Eren needed. Fireballs formed in his hands, aiming for Nile’s face as he heard a gunshot.

Oliver fell on his back, blood forming rivers down his head. The fire in each hand dissipates, and Eren just stare in shock. His body is numb. He’s not even sure if any of this is real anymore. It could easily be a dream. All of it. 

“You idiot!” shouted Nile, addressing a fellow gun-toting MP. “That was a fucking male omega, you fucking moron! Do you have any idea how rare those are?” 

“I… I’m sorry, sir. He was getting away…”

“He’s a damn omega! Catch him, don’t kill him,” Nile shouted, his fingers massaging his temples. “Ugh. Get ready to cough up some serious cash, Ben. Those things aren’t cheap.”

Eren still stands there, a vacant expression on his face. He didn’t try to run. He didn’t try to fight. He simply stood. And stared. 

If this was the price of freedom, it was too much. The end did not justify the means. He would never forgive himself for Oliver’s death.

He picked the handcuffs back up and with a click, his hands were restrained behind his back. Nile turned to face him, a look of relief flooding his face. 

“That might be the smartest thing I’ve seen you do,” said Nile, walking towards Eren. “Ben, clean this fucking mess up. Kenny will beat your ass if he sees this.” 

“Nah, I got better things to do,” says an approaching Kenny. Nile turns his head and grins. His hand is sitting on Eren’s shoulder. 

“Speak of the devil,” says Nile, laughing, “The boy finally got some sense knocked into him. The king will be so happy to hear it. I wonder if our pay will raise…” Kenny isn’t listening to Nile. All of his attention was on Eren. All it took to break him was the pain of others. His plan had worked perfectly. He leaned down and pushed Eren’s hair behind his ears. 

“That hair’s getting long, ain’t it, boy?” He didn’t respond. His expression was the same as it had been since Oliver was shot. Kenny hummed in a soothing tone and rubbed Eren’s back, seemingly trying to comfort him. It would be nice if it wasn’t Kenny. The guy never did anything for the right reasons. “You wanna come with me, omega?” Kenny’s voice was barely above a whisper, weirdly full of warmth. Suddenly, Eren felt something. An instant trigger. A desire for closeness. The closeness of an alpha. His omega side was vying mercilessly for his attention, and the trauma he’d experienced was so severe, so impossible for him to process, that he gave in. 

He looked to Kenny, eyes widening, and nodded. 

“That’s a good boy,” he responded, uncuffing him, then standing to his full height and holding out his hand. Eren stared at it for a moment before taking it. Nile looked concerned. 

“Uh, sir… are you sure it’s a good idea to let him walk around without any restraints?”

“This here ain’t no wild stallion anymore, genius,” responded Kenny in a rude tone. “Listen, Nile. I wan’t you to refrain from reporting this to the king right away. Other things need to be taken care of first.” 

“Um, well, okay. Yes, sir,” said Nile, sounding unsure. Kenny walked Eren to a hidden doorway, wanting to exit without any attention. 

“Eren, I know you need rest. And that you’re worried for the omegas and your friends. But don’t worry anymore. They will all be taken care of now. All because of you,” he said, affectionately ruffling his hair. “And you? Well, I’m gonna take great care a’ ya.” He placed a hand down Eren’s side and slid it to his waist, pulling him close. Eren’s eyes weren’t his own anymore; he had totally checked out. He inhaled the pungent smell of alpha pheramones, pressing his face to Kenny’s chest. He desperately needed those calming pheramones; the source was irrelevant at this point. 

“I’m gonna take care a’ you, and you’re gonna take care a’ me. Right, Eren?” 

He nodded. Kenny smiled as if he’d just played the winning chess piece, his brows furrowed. 

“Good boy.”


	26. The Deal

“I’m back!” Hange greeted as she entered her house. “Uh… Levi?” 

“He’s gone.” He shoved the note in her face and flopped back down onto the couch. “Dumb kid went to save his friends. He overheard us talking.” Levi rolled his eyes and sighed. Hange stared in disbelief as two others followed behind her into the room. 

“Hold up, hold up,” Levi began, beginning to lose his cool composure, “These two ARE his friends!” Mikasa and Armin looked to Levi, both wearing looks of concern on their faces. Hange wasn’t smiling. 

“They bluffed,” she said, her voice unusually monotone, removing her cape. “I… that’s why I brought them here. To give him the good news.”

“Where did he go?” asked Mikasa, anger in her voice. 

“The MP facility. No doubt in my mind…” said Levi, his thoughts trailing off.

“Well, the good news is that he probably hasn’t been captured. I have heard no reports about that. You know how quickly news travels,” said Hange. 

“It’s only a matter of time, though. Powers or no powers, he wont be a match for the entire Military Police,” said Levi, rubbing his eyes. 

“So, what are we supposed to do?” asked Armin, nervously fidgeting with his own cape. “Shouldn’t we tell Commander Erwin?”

“No,” snapped Levi, his eyes narrowed. 

“Not an option,” echoed Hange, “I’m afraid… Levi and I have lost faith in, uh. Well, let’s just say we don’t agree with his methods anymore. They’re inhumane.”

“And that’s saying something coming from an insane scientist who commits experiments on living human subjects,” scoffed Levi. 

“So, what I’m gathering is that Eren left because he thought he was saving us. Maybe he’ll realize we aren’t there? And come back,” said Armin. 

“I wonder if hurting the omegas was a bluff, too,” said Levi, staring out the window now.

“No, that part has to be true. The Survey Corps omegas have been stuck in cages… without food.” Hange looked to her feet, clearly feeling ashamed at her own complacency. Everyone froze at the sound of a knock to the door. Hange looked to Levi and he nodded, reading her mind— he went into her room and hid in a closet. Once he was out of sight, Hange approached the door. She took a big breath and opened it. A bulky blond man was on the other side. He was smiling and had a friendly look in his eyes. 

“Hello! My commander sent me to offer my assistance in his absence! I’m Reiner.” 

“Your commander?” asked a skeptical Mikasa, cocking a brow. “Erwin?”

“No! Commander Yeager.” Mikasa looked to Armin, both puzzled. 

“Eren’s your commander?” asked Armin. 

“No,” said Levi from the bedroom, his figure appearing from the room. “Eren’s brother is.” Everyone looked to him in utter confusion but he waved them off. “Don’t ask. We have to focus on Eren right now. Explanation later.” Hange, Mikasa, and Armin were all clearly ready to burst with questions, but they knew Levi was right, and zipped lip for now. “Oh, and your idiot Commander chose a real shit time to bail. Eren ran off to the Military Police where I’m sure he’s drowning in pure concentrated trouble by now.” Levi eyed the large blond man standing in the doorway and rolled his eyes. “Hey, but at least we have an overgrown 10 year old on our side now.” Reiner shot a glare towards the captain, his patience dwindling. 

“You’re Levi, aren’t you?” Levi stared in Reiner’s direction, his eyes passively trained on the wall just above the guy’s head. 

“Somebody give this gorilla a treat, he just got something right.” Reiner’s head was practically steaming at this point and he began taking a few warning steps towards the captain. Levi sighed and crossed his arms. “Look, don’t take it personally, alright? I’m just pissed. Keeping this omega in check is proving to be impossible and I just want to punch him in the face for his idiocy.” Armin cringed at his harsh words and looked to Mikasa, bracing for her reaction. 

“Yeah. He’s a complete moron,” she deadpanned in all seriousness. “So what do we do?” 

“It’s way too dangerous for us to do anything. Or, at least, we can’t make the first move. Let’s see what the MPs do,” said Hange, her face covered in metallic analysis. 

“We can’t just let them have him!” Objected Mikasa, her hands turning into fists. Armin grabbed her arm and squeezed it, trying to calm her. 

“They wont kill him. They need him,” she replied. 

“For what?” asked Levi, shifting his hands to his hips. 

“Power. What else?”

_________________________________________________________________________

Eren was in probably the nicest bed he’d ever laid eyes upon, let alone slept in. The comforter was a clean white and filled with soft goose down, the texture of the blanket silky and smooth. He found himself sinking comfortably into the bed, fluffy pillows surrounding him from every direction. He was encased in a perfect cocoon made of pure omega bliss. He smiled as he felt himself begin to doze off, his body still mindlessly wriggling around behind the comforter to find the perfect position. He was nearly sleeping when the door crept open. 

“Hello, sweet boy.” Eren covered his eyes in response to the lights suddenly shutting on, effectively breaking him from his mode of slumber. 

“Kenny?” He asked, still trying to make out the shadow surrounded by blinding light. 

“That’s right,” he whispered, climbing onto the bed. He grazed Eren’s jawbone with light fingertips, the boy’s body jolting at the warm touch he craved. 

“Will you lay next to me?” 

“Of course,” the man replied, climbing under the covers and shoving Eren to the side so he could wrap his large body around him from behind. The omega hummed in contentment. Kenny slowly ran a palm down Eren’s front, gently rubbing his chest and stomach over his gifted Egyptian cotton sleep shirt, the buttons being undone one by one. “So. Eren.”

“Mmmm?”

“If I mate you… you’ll help me out, woncha?” Eren was suddenly aware of the hardness rubbing against his backside as Kenny finished unbuttoning the shirt, allowing his fingers to examine his soft, warm stomach. “I mean, that’s what you need, isn’t it?” His hands pulled back and clutched Eren’s soft pajama shorts, his thumbs sliding down the boy’s skin as he pulled them down. “A nice, big alpha cock. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You want my teeth breaking the skin on your neck. You need a mate. Don’t you, boy?” His pajamas were pulled to his thighs now, and Kenny pulled his throbbing member out, the size intimidating and wet. Eren could fill it poking his entrance and was suddenly overtaken by panic. He jerked away from Kenny, stumbling off the side of the bed onto the floor. He tried to get up and run but his falling shorts hindered his legs from escaping and he fell flat on his face, pulling himself up onto his elbows to reveal a bloody nose. He’d snapped out of it. What the hell was he fucking doing? 

“Please,” he managed to get out, his voice breaking into terrified whimpers as he held his nose, blood now leaking through his fingers. Kenny had an utterly confused look on his face. 

“Please what? Look, boy. I thought you wanted this. If you don’t, we don’t gotta do it,” he said, slipping his pants back over his cock. “No need for them crocodile tears. Dry ‘em.” Kenny walked over to Eren and dabbed his nose with a tissue. “What is it you want then?” 

“I need the omegas to be set free…” he began, all the previous events immediately flashing back to him. He wasn’t here to be a pampered omega. He had a job to do. “All of them.” Kenny scratched his fuzzy chin for a moment, considering Eren’s words. Would it really be this easy?

“They can all go, Eren.” The omega’s eyes widened and his heart began beating faster than his small body could tolerate. He held onto his chest and looked upwards towards Kenny.

“Really? Just like that?” 

“Well, there’s just a little something that needs to be done first, you see,” he began, patting Eren on the head. “I’ll let you in on a secret, Eren. The king wants you dead. I’m supposed to turn you over to him. But I ain’t gonna.” The kid was hardly surprised at Kenny’s admission. Eren hadn’t submitted to the throne the way he was expected to; it was clear he was a loose canon. Why would the throne let him live? Still, he didn’t trust Kenny. Not even a bit. He was privy to the fact that the man needed him for something. But what? 

“So. What do you want?” Kenny smiled, running his hand threw Eren’s soft, tangled hair. 

“I can save your little omega friends one way and one way only. You have to enter the avatar state.” 

“I can’t. I haven’t even learned air yet. Isn’t there something else I can do for you?” 

“‘fraid not, kiddo. It’s all or nothin’.” Eren felt his heart drop to his stomach. He’d promised those omegas he’d make a move before the day was up. How could he have them hanging on for who even knows how long while he learns air bending? He let out a frustrated groan. 

“At least feed them,” the boy demanded, his eyes suddenly confident and serious, nothing like the shaking omega from before. 

“I can do that much,” he replied, standing to his feet. “They’ll be set free once you’ve reached the avatar state.” 

“It’s a deal.” 

“Good,” said Kenny, reaching out to shake Eren’s hand. “I do still think it’d be helpful if you had an alpha. It’d help your focus, I’m pretty sure. I think that’s part of the problem.” Kenny leaned back down and slid a hand to Eren’s ass, giving it a light squeeze. He slapped him away and stumbled to the wall, increasing the distance between the two. 

“I… I already have an alpha,” he lied, desperate to get Kenny’s mind out of the gutter. 

“Is that right? Well, then we need them up here. Name ‘em and I’ll bring ‘em to you.” 

“It’s… it’s Levi.” A sinister smile grew on Kenny’s face. 

“Now that’s rich.”


	27. A Rock and a Hard Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short little update to move things along.

Everyone at Hange’s had been sitting on pins and needles since realizing Eren had went AWOL on them. As much as they wanted to head into the MP facility guns blazing in order to get him back, they simply weren’t a match for such a large adversary. All they could do was wait and listen for updates. They had to bank on the idea that Eren wouldn’t be harmed if caught. 

It was not a fool proof plan. 

“So, what? We just sit here on our asses while those monsters could be doing who knows what with him?” questioned Mikasa, her voice shaking with frustration. 

“It’s either wait and play it smart or walk into the situation with completely closed eyes. You want the few of us to go to the MP headquarters and make ourselves known? We don’t even know if they have him. It’s just too risky,” replied Hange, her chin resting on her thumb. “I mean, sure, we could try infiltrating them without their knowledge, but then we could end up with more faces identified. Levi is essentially useless because of that…” Levi rolled his eyes. 

“No shit,” he muttered, running a hand through his bangs. “This situation is so fucked. If only that little brat had listened for once and stayed fucking put.” The group’s thoughts were put to an abrupt halt at the sound of yet another knock to the door. Levi groaned and jogged back to the bedroom in hiding. Hange walked to the door and looked out the peep hole. 

“Uhh…” 

“If it’s a scraggly guy with glasses and a beard, that’s just Zeke,” said Reiner, his voice a bit hopeful at the possibility. It’d be nice to have him back so he could get out of this situation before Levi earned a good beat down. 

“It’s someone from the Military Police,” she whispered, swallowing back her nerves the best she could. “Oh, shit.” 

“Okay, then, looks like our method to this madness has chosen itself,” started Levi, walking back out of the bedroom, “They already know too much. Game on, bitches.” He pulled a dagger from his pocket and eyed the door, a deep breath echoing the room. 

“What if he’s here for something unrelated?” asked Hange, her voice laced with desperation. She looked around to see that everyone else in the room had weapons ready. Was this really it? A fight to the death? Right now? This will never work. Surely everyone knows that. But she wasn’t left with a choice. They had made their decision, and now she was to go down with the ship. At least there was just one guy at the door… but taking him out would surely lead to many, many others. 

“Hange, stop thinking,” demanded Levi, reading her mind. “Grab your gun,” he paused, making direct eye contact with his crazed friend, “and open the door.” Loud banging began to flood the room as the stranger clearly started losing his patience. Hange took one more final breath before bracing herself and swinging the door open, her gun cocked and ready with apt speed and skill. Levi’s eyes widened. 

“Wait!” he yelled, prompting Hange to look back towards him. “Jesus fucking christ. What the hell do you want, Kenny?”

“Why, you, my boy,” the man answered, a wild grin dominating his face. “I want you.” Levi huffed and tightened the grip on his dagger. 

“You know, believe it or not, I’m not really in the mood for a family reunion.”

“Put that knife away, runt. I ain’t here to hurt anyone. Quite the contrary, really.” Levi narrowed his eyes, his grip on the knife unchanging. 

“You have him, obviously. Unless you plan on handing him back over, you might want to reevaluate your plans here.” Hange had stealthily faced her gun at Kenny’s head. The three kids in the room all appeared ready to pounce, as well. Maybe they had a chance. 

“You can have him, Levi. He tells me you’re his mate. I was pretty shocked to learn that someone as fucked up as you would finally take on a little bitch, but then you /would/ choose a fucking avatar,” Kenny clicked his tongue, “always did have to do things the hard way.” Levi froze, his expression confused. Did Eren really think of him as his mate? Has he lost his damn mind? He would never in a million years admit this to anyone, but his knees were weak at the admission. Maybe he doesn’t hate me after all, he thought. His eyes darted to Hange who gave him a very subtle nod. 

“Yeah. That’s right. Eren is mine. So, why isn’t he here then if you’re so Kindly giving him back?” he asked, sarcasm flooding his tone. Kenny laughed. 

“Here’s the deal, kiddo. The king wants your omega dead.” There was a painful knot in the back of Levi’s throat. No. “But… I don’t want him dead. Levi, I want him to live. So I’m not gonna tell the king I have ‘em.”

“Just tell me the damn catch already.” Kenny smiled. 

“You smart little thing,” he said as he walked up to his nephew, letting a hand ruffle his hair. Levi was stiff with rage but fought back the urge to stab this man right here and now. “Obviously, we have to keep him hidden. And, well, he wants you. So you will also be hidden. While you’re both hidden, you will do what you have to do with him,” he said with a wink and a nudge, “make the dumb kid happy. Whatever it takes.” His hands were on Levi’s shoulders now, the grip suddenly painfully tight. “But he will learn the avatar state. If he doesn’t learn it within a month… I’ll turn him in.”

“You sadistic bastard,” he said under his breath, “it’s not like there’s a choice, is there? It’s a deal. Just take me to him.”

“Wise decision.”


	28. One Month of Bliss?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is reunited with Eren and it's immediately awkward.

Kenny took Levi to the hidden cottage he had moved Eren to shortly after the intense encounter at Hange’s. It was decided that only Levi would be allowed to see Eren at this point— everyone else would continue on like normal. The group needed as many eyes and ears in the military as possible. 

Once the two arrived to Eren’s location, Kenny barked out a few ground rules— they were not, under any circumstance, to leave this area. “House arrest,” Kenny called it, “but at least you have a cute omega to be arrested with.” 

Levi wasn’t amused. 

He walked into the cottage and looked around. It was actually pretty damn nice. The floors were clean, shiny wood, the walls were a light yellow plaster. There were multiple rooms that would require exploring. He was about to call for Eren when he heard a shuffling of fabric coming from the couch in the living room. He approached the origin of the noise, and ah. There he was. Eren was sleeping and cozied up under a fluffy blue blanket. Levi looked at him a moment, and savored the peaceful expression on his face. He took in the comfort of the gentle rise and fall of the omega’s chest, and the light, steady breathing coming from his mouth, a tiny bit of drool sliding down the corner of his lips. Levi couldn’t help but smile at such a beautiful sight. 

He carefully nudged the boy’s shoulder, hoping for him to wake for at least a little while. He ached to see those big, turquoise eyes looking into his blue ones. He desperately wanted to hear his voice… to ask about the whole “mate” situation. Alas, Eren was proving a heavy sleeper.

Levi ripped the blanket from him to see if he’d stir at the sensation of cool air. The blanket was pulled upwards, causing his soft sleep shirt to slide up his torso. Levi rested a hand on Eren’s soft stomach and slid it towards his chest, further lifting the shirt and exposing more skin. He gulped at the sight of a hard, perky nipple, and felt himself grow hard as he slid a finger over it. A muffled noise escaped Eren’s lips and he shifted from his side to his back, a leg sliding off the open side of the couch. The boy’s crotch was front and center, and his tiny sleep shorts were made of an airy, thin material that clung beautifully to his soft dick. For a moment, Levi daydreamed about sliding the shorts down to his thighs and then… 

“Ugh. Fuck,” he mumbled, trying to shake himself out of it. He shoved Eren’s shoulder again and his eyes finally slowly opened, wincing as the light of day returned to his vision. Levi picked the blanket up from the floor and tossed it over his body again and rested a hand on Eren’s leg. 

“Hey, Eren.” 

“Levi? Where are we?” he asked, his voice soft and cracked from sleeping. 

“Somewhere safe. How are you feeling?” 

“Tired.”

“You can go back to sleep. I just wanted you to know that I’m here with you now.”

“Why?” Levi made a face.

“Um, damn. You’re a little shit after waking up, aren’t you?” Levi pulled his hand away and rubbed his eyes, sighing. “Look. The truth is, I’m here on business.” Eren’s eyes fell and the vibrant blue-green dulled. Surely he isn’t upset…

“What kind of business?”

“We have a month to get you into the avatar state. We don’t have a choice anymore. It has to happen.” Eren blinked away his sleepiness and his eyes widened. That’s right. The omegas… his friends. They were still in danger. 

“Right.” He pulled himself up onto his elbows. He couldn’t fool himself, he felt pretty damn hopeless at the moment. The other elements really weren’t that mysterious to him. They just sort of came. Of course, there were somewhat of triggers, now that he thought about it. What would trigger air? And then the avatar state is whole different thing entirely. 

“Hey, calm down, alright? We’ll figure something out,” said Levi in a soft voice, calming pheromones drifting throughout the room. Eren let out a sigh of relief and allowed himself to be swept up by them. “So. Can I ask you something?”

“Okay?”

“Why did you tell Kenny that… I’m your mate? I mean. You don’t really believe that, do you?” Eren looked up at Levi who immediately shot his eyes to the wall behind him, his expression bored and apathetic. The boy felt a wave of anger radiate throughout his body. 

“No. Of course I don’t believe that. Do you think I’m an idiot?” Levi’s eyes darted back towards Eren’s. 

“Then why did you say it?”

“It was either that, or possibly face the prospect of Kenny throwing himself on me. It didn’t seem like a bad idea at the time.” Levi couldn’t help the rage that hit him in the gut. So that was it. Kenny threatened him. He was torn between trying to figure out why exactly Kenny wanted Eren to be intimate with someone, and the hurt he felt at Eren’s seemingly meaningless lie— Levi was probably just the first person he could think of. Well, at least that was settled. 

“Okay, then. Well, look We’ve got some long days ahead of us. Why don’t you go back to sleeping and take it easy for the rest of the day? I can get some food together for us a little later.” Levi stood up from the couch and began heading towards one of the bedrooms. Hopefully the beds were as nice as the rest of the cottage seemed to suggest. 

“Hey, wait…” 

“What is it, Eren?” 

“Will you sleep with me?” The boy’s face turned red. “I mean, not like that, I just—” 

“Sure. Let’s use one of the beds though, okay? It’ll be more comfortable.” 

“Of course. Uh… thanks.” A tiny smile fell on Levi’s face. 

“Don’t mention it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that the last two chapters are so short. i just wanted to get the ball rollin' asap since it's been a bit since an update. next chapter will be longer.
> 
> hmm. i wonder what erwin's up to?


	29. Air

The two had been at the secluded cottage for a few weeks now. The development of their relationship wasn’t anything to write home about so far. Though, both seemed at ease around each other. They cooked together, foraged together, and slept together— Eren took great comfort in the alpha’s warmth. The calming pheromones didn’t hurt, either. Still, things were pretty platonic and business oriented. Levi was disappointed in this fact, but after all Eren’s been through, he understood. He wouldn’t push anything on the kid. He’d been through hell. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?

Now, though, they only had two weeks left for him to master air and enter the avatar state. Or so Kenny said. Levi hoped he was bluffing out of some cruel motivational tactic. He wasn’t about to trust that thought, though. 

“Alright, so, we know this much: air is a spiritual element. It’s the element of freedom. It’s gotta be somehow related to that,” said Levi, the two sitting in a nearby field, free to practice bending ’til the heart’s content. Eren cocked a brow. 

“No offense, but I’m not sure how much you can help me with spirituality.” 

“Nothing gets passed you, Sparky.”

“Again with the nickname? I hoped you forgot about that.” 

“Not a chance,” said Levi, ruffling Eren’s now greasy hair. He cringed. “Look, we’ve tried enough for today. Why don’t you hit the showers?” Eren pushed Levi away and turned in the opposite direction. 

“I think I need some alone time. Y’know. With… nature.” 

“I don’t know about leaving you alone…”

“If it’s me running away you’re worried about, don’t. I wouldn’t bail on the omegas like that. And if it’s safety you’re worried about, well,” he said, his voice rising towards the end of the sentence. He shot a ball of fire out into the open of the field, creating a new, albeit singed, path through the tall grass. He turned towards Levi and crossed his arms, his expression annoyed. 

“I’m not supposed to let you out of my sight, Sparky.” 

“You always do as you’re told?”

“You’re such a shit. Look, go ahead. Take a nature walk. Become one with the world, whatever. You only have an hour though, okay? And even that’s pushing it.”

“Sounds fine to me. Don’t worry so much,” said Eren, heading in the direction of the path he made. Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah. Right.”

—————————————————————————————————————-

Eren hiked into a forest just about a mile away from the cottage, enjoying the solitude. Poets have always said that when nothing helps the mind in life, it’s nature one turns to for guidance and comfort, and even enlightenment. He hoped that to be true as he inhaled the variety of fresh scents, from honey suckle, to ripened berries, to the permeating aroma of trees.

He found a nice spot beside a small riverbank and took a seat on a large rock overlooking the water. He touched the rock and tensed as it shifted into a larger, more comfortable area to relax. He removed his hands and sighed. 

“Come on, mother nature,” he muttered, tossing a pebble into the water, “fucking enlighten me. Give me air. It surrounds me, right? Why can’t I bend it.” He loudly exhaled in frustration. A turtle was spotted beside the edge of the bank, trying and failing to pull itself onto dry land. Eren aimed a hand near the turtle and a gentle wave rose it to the shore. He smiled as it waddled off into the forrest. Out of nowhere, a huge gust of wind rushed over Eren’s body, the power behind it almost strong enough to knock him off the rock. 

“Am I… am I doing it?” His heart was racing and he felt sweat begin to seep all around his skin. He held out his hand and focused, trying to create more movements in the air only to be hit with another gust; it hit him in the face, hard, and he was knocked backwards into the water, a loud splash encircling his entrance. 

“Hey, Eren. Long time no see, huh?” 

He began swimming to the shore, shocked as the owner of the voice became recognizable. Just as he pulled himself out of the water, a big wave came from behind him and shoved him into the ground. Panting, he sat up and wiped the trail of blood trickling from his temple. 

“I’m sorry, Eren,” said a different, but still familiar voice. “But we don’t have a choice. You have to come with us, okay?” 

“What… what is this?” he asked, trying to catch his breath. “Ymir…Krista!? You’re benders?” This had to be a dream. This wasn’t possible, was it? Even if it was… why would they be attacking him? 

“Yep. Turns out, any omega can become a bender, thanks to the serum your dad invented. It took a while, but Hange was finally able to recreate it,” said a third voice. 

“Annie. You, too?” Eren was surrounded by the most unlikely of foes. Fire formed in Annie’s palm as she looked him in the eyes, her expression cold and focused. 

“Don’t make us hurt you, Eren. Come with us peacefully,” implored Krista, a tear sliding down her face. 

“Erwin did this…” quietly said Eren. “Guys, please. Don’t let him use you like this. The way he did me.” He closed his eyes in mental anguish. There probably wasn’t much hope that he could fight all three, but even if he could. He didn’t want to. 

“Sorry, Eren, but you don’t deserve our sympathy,” said Annie, the flames in her hands rising. “Do you know what happened to us? All because of you?” She held back an arm, preparing to attack, when her hands were grabbed from behind and forced behind her back. 

“Yep. See, this is why I followed you. You’ve gotta be the most unlucky person I have ever met.” Levi speedily tied Annie up and gagged her. One Sparky in this world was already too damn many. 

“Don’t hurt her, Levi!” yelled Eren as he brought himself to his feet. A sharp gust of wind shot towards him yet again, but this time he dodged it. He turned around and pulled the earth up around Ymir, trapping her. He then turned towards Krista and looked into her eyes, trying to gauge her thinking. He prepared himself for a blow but she surprised him and went for Levi instead, a huge wave of water entrapping his entire body. 

“You have to come with us, Eren. I won’t… we can’t go back to those cages!” screamed Krista, her eyes staring holes into the man she kept water bound. 

“Let him go. Right now,” he demanded, his composition switching in an instant. A small whirlwind formed behind the tiny blonde girl and pulled her in, swirling her in and out of the funnel, ramming her body into a tree. The pool of water around Levi vanished and he fell to the ground, violently panting, his skin a blueish hue. Precious air filled his lungs and he began regaining his color. 

“Ymir! Why’d you do that,” asked a pained Krista, her body pulled over her feet. Blood was pooling around her small form, the impact proving lethal. 

“I didn’t,” responded Ymir, still locked in the stone cage. 

Eren was still shaking in rage, his eyes remaining locked on Krista and his breathing erratic. Levi sat up and looked to the boy. 

“You did it, Sparky. Oh fuck, yes. You did it.”


	30. The Breakdown of Forgiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i'm back. beware, this chapter is angst filled and has unhealthy (and fucked up) coping mechanisms in it. remember that this is a wild fanfic and not in any way shape or form a model for relationships!!!
> 
> much luv xoxoxo

The sun was setting, and the soothing sound of locusts buzzing filled the air as a tranquil breeze made its way across the forest. It was the most peaceful Levi had felt in a long, long time. He was sitting around a fire (that Eren made, of course) along with the boy who never stopped surprising him. They were roasting rabbit on sticks and boiling fresh water. The girls sat and watched, their arms and legs secured with rope near a large pine tree, their expressions forlorn and hopeless. Eren looked at them in his peripheral and felt his stomach tighten in guilt, releasing a light, dejected sigh. He wasn't feeling too hungry at the moment. In actuality, it was a wonderful day for him; he finally produced all four elements, the elements he needed in order to enter the avatar state. He had taken a huge step closer to freeing the omegas. At least, according to Kenny. He tried to keep the doubt he carried in his gut quiet, but it was omnipresent, and it soured every pleasant sense his body bestowed upon him. 

"I think the meat's done." Eren jerked as Levi broke their silence, his arms quickly pulling the stick out of the fire. He watched with hooded eyes as the smoke from the meat drifted steadily throughout the air like dandelion seeds. Levi blew on his meat and took a hardy bite, his eyes averted from the boy across from him. He gaped as Eren stood and walked to the girls, tearing his meat into three pieces. He held the food to their mouths in offering, only Krista humble enough to accept it, scarfing it down in fervor. Annie refused to make eye contact and Ymir was glaring as the small blond bit off chunks of meat until it was gone. 

" _Join_ me." Annie's brows furrowed into an impossibly more jagged expression as Krista and Ymir looked to each other, Krista's eyes big, round, and insisting. Ymir tensely exhaled and her eyes darted back to Eren's. 

"Why are you idiots mad at him?" asked Levi with an irritated tone, still sitting by the fire, his eyes utterly unimpressed. "You think you've been more abused than him?" He stood up and approached them until he was standing behind him, his chin right above Eren's head. "So, tell me. What exactly is your plan? You turn the kid in to psycho Erwin, and then what? Go back to your merry little lives of glorified _whores_?" Eren winced at his poor orator skills and Ymir looked ready to bust out of the rope restraining her. 

"You shut your damn mouth, pig! Don't act like you have a _clue,"_ barked Ymir, her fists shaking behind her back. 

"You sure know how to boost morale, don't you?" asked Eren, his tone cold, eyes to his feet. 

"You've got nerve calling us whores. You're with the biggest one of all, didn't you know?" chimed in Annie, her vision still actively avoiding eye contact. "At least we have the decency to refrain leading men on. They know what we're there for. And it isn't _love_." Her voice was pure ice. 

"Come on, Annie..."said Krista, her voice soft and coaxing. 

"No," she snapped, finally bringing her gaze to Levi's. "Look at you. Following an omega around. He really has you fooled." The alpha's blood was boiling and his vision was pure red, his fists clenched. He looked to Eren, who still looked to the ground, his face expressionless and eyes empty. "And you, Eren. _Avatar_ ," she mocked, "I hope the sex was worth the sacrifice of your soul. I do have to wonder, though...was he as good as Erwin?"

"Not another _word_ ," ordered Levi, eyes murderous. "You don't know what you're fucking talking about. Keep it up, and I'll snuff you out right here. Right _now_." All were instantly silent and still, Krista and Ymir's faces paper white, Annie's not too far from the same appearance, her eyes now running frantically from any contact. Even she knew not to bait him any further. Eren's gaze remained unfocused and cloudy for what seemed like an eternity before a silent tear finally slid down his cheek; his body had slowly strained in on itself and his stomach twisted and turned, his head lighter and lighter with every second. He didn't notice Levi's grip on his waist as he unknowingly swayed, footing unsteady. 

"Don't let these assholes get to you, Eren," soothed Levi, his hands rubbing gently up and down his back as he maintained a careful grip. 

"I'm sorry, Eren," quietly said Krista, her voice small and scared, but also apologetic, "Please, don't be upset with her. She doesn't mean it. She... she's just _terrified_. We all are." 

"Are you gonna join me, or not?" asked Eren, flat and blunt. He jerked away from Levi, a huff escaping the pit of his stomach as he tried to save face. His legs trembled. 

"You think we can beat the entire Survey Corps?" questioned Ymir, critical. 

"And the military police, actually," corrected Eren. Ymir let out a laugh in disbelief. Unblinking, he stared at her. "You heard Annie," he said, crossing his arms, a beat passing as the three looked to him as if he was insane. "I'm the fucking _Avatar_." 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Levi was laying in bed, reading over notes Hange had given him, mulling over any tips she left when it came to the Avatar state. Surely the hard part was over? He had all elements now. Every single one. They had a week before Kenny returned, his threat of turning Eren over to the king never far from his mind. He had to learn the Avatar state. He just _had_ to. Levi let out a shakey breath and put the notes down, looking over to the closed bathroom door. The light was on and the steam that had evaded the crack under the door over the past hour was now small drops of drying water. He went to the door and knocked. 

"Hey, Eren. You've been in there a while. Everything okay?" No response. He really didn't like that. He knocked again, louder and more forceful this time. Still nothing. That was it. "I'm coming in!"

The boy was sitting in the tub, the water now cold. His arms were wrapped around his legs, entire body wildly shivering as he stared at the tiled wall in front of him, engulfed in a catatonic state. He rocked back and forth mindlessly, Levi's presence going entirely unnoticed. 

"Fuck," said Levi, eyes wide with panic. He grabbed a big, fluffy towel and pulled the drain from the tub, cold water slowly losing its clutches on Eren. "Talk to me," said Levi as he wrapped the towel around Eren's torso and held him for a few moments, immersing him in foreign body heat. He carefully pulled him out of the tub and sat him against the wall of the bathroom, drying his trembling body at a rapid, desperate pace. "Shhhh, baby," murmured Levi, his arms again wrapped around Eren along with the towel, "If this is because of those girls, I'll fucking kill them," he muttered out of earshot. The boy was still unresponsive as Levi cradled him in his arms and carried him to the bed, laying his now dry naked body under the soft, warm covers, crawling in next to him right after. He smothered him with his body, wanting to warm him and snap him out of whatever this was. _I feel so helpless..._ This didn't make sense. He had seemed so hopeful earlier. So bold. Was that all just a show? IF it was, it was a damn good one. The other omegas had agreed to follow his lead. 

Eren finally seemed to stir and turned around, now facing Levi. 

"Oh, god, you're back. I was freaking ou--" He was cut off by lips latching onto his, much to his surprise. He looked at Eren in shock, the kiss unbroken as the boy climbed on top of him and began grinding into his crotch, his hands traveling greedily up Levi's toned stomach. "Eren," he gasped, pulling away and grabbing the kid's wrists, "What are you... are you okay?" 

"Just fuck me," he said, tone emotionless and bright teal eyes grey. Levi had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was... it had him _really_ hard. Before he could say anything else, Eren was pawing at his fly, frantically ripping his pants and underwear down, his painfully erect cock flopping out with ease. Eren turned around on his knees, and presented his plump ass to the alpha. Levi couldn't help but notice that it was dry, though. Was Eren actually aroused? His thoughts were put to a halt when Eren spread his legs, his hole on full display, clearly demanding penetration. "Let me get some lube," he said, starting to get out of the bed.

" _No_. Dry." Levi stared in confusion, his mouth hanging open. 

"Eren... that... that will hurt you."

"Fuck me!" he screamed, little room for debate offered. "I want it to hurt. Do you fucking _get_ it?" Levi hesitated a moment before giving in, licking his lips as he approached the incredibly receptive omega. "Now!" He gently pushed the head in, doing is best not to damage the boy when he was met with a forceful push backwards, Eren screaming as half of the large length tore into his body. The boy was still, panting and shaking as he let himself adjust before slamming himself all the way down the shaft, an agonizing wail ripping through the room. Levi's breathing was wild in an excited arousal, but the volume of the screaming managed to make its way through the daze.

"Are you okay?" he asked between breaths. 

"Please. Please. Just fuck me." He couldn't let his omega down, could he? Levi pulled himself out slowly before ramming himself back in, eliciting a delicious squeal from Eren. His fingers had a damaging grip on the omega's hips as he slammed himself into him over and over again, and before long, Eren's screams of assumed pleasure had turned into all out sobbing and his body was limp. Levi pulled out his throbbing cock, desperate for release, but... he just couldn't do this. This didn't feel right. He rubbed Eren's sweaty back, the boy's face now face-down on the bed, his crying muffled, but shrill. Levi cringed at the sight of a trail of blood leaking down his thighs. He never should have listened. 

"Eren, please. Tell me what's wrong."  

"Hurt me," he cried, the area where his face laid becoming engrossed in moisture from his tears. 

"Why do you want to be hurt?" Eren shot up into a sitting position, his face towards Levi's. The alpha's heart shattered at the broken look on his face. He was swollen and red, cheeks raw with salt. But it was his eyes that hurt the most. Bright teal was dulled by a cloud of tears, filled with tiny red vines. 

"I'm just a whore," he screamed between breaths, "I'm _nothing_." Levi surrounded him with arms, pulling him into a tight hug. 

"Don't say that." 

"I deserve to be fucked like a dirty, filthy whore. I need to be strangled." 

" _No_."

"I need to be _hit_."

"Stop! I wont hear any more. You're delirious, okay? Please. Just rest. Sleep," he begged, his voice soft and soothing as he gently rocked Eren back and forth in his embrace. "I'm so sorry," he said, his own voice breaking. "I deserve to die for being any damn part of this." He hugged him even tighter, the sobs beginning to quiet. "I'm so, so sorry. Someone like you... as beautiful, strong, and kind as you..." a tear slid down the corner of his eye, tightly closing them. "You're the best damn person I know, Eren." The boy's shaking had began to dissipate and he let himself be held, his head resting on Levi's shoulder. Eren said something inaudible as he nuzzled his face into the warmth of the body cradling him. "What?" asked Levi, wiping the tears from his eyes. 

"I forgive you." 


	31. Chapter 31

"Wakey, wakey!" 

"Uh... Kenny?" Levi cracked a lid open, letting his pupils adjust to the dark figure standing in the rising light. He looked over to the four omegas he'd been hiking with to see that they were all still asleep despite the leaves crinkling between the older alpha's feet, the four all meshed together in one big, warm bundle. Admittedly, Levi found it fucking adorable. They had begun their trek back to Rose a few days ago now that they were all onboard to fight. Fight for what, they weren't entirely sure. But they were going to fight. They would be free, or dead. No more in between. 

And Levi was their unwavering ally.

His eyes ran over the comfortable looking lump he cherished sleeping peacefully between the the girls, the tranquility of his rising and falling chest cut short by his uncle's unwelcome greeting. He faced his uncle, his brows furrowed and muscles instinctively tense. 

"Well, well. Looks like y'all have gained some fine looking company," he murmured, a sleazy grin forming on his face as he assessed the new trio of omegas. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"Time's up. The kid reach the avatar state?" Levi rose to his feet and boldly stepped close to Kenny, their bodies mere inches apart.

"Yes," he lied, knowing for certain that if he didn't, Kenny would fight Levi to the death in order to take Eren back to the king. The man never said what he didn't mean; and he said he'd turn Eren in if he hadn't met his conditions. 

"Looks like we got business to attend to, then," he said, appearing to believe his nephew's words. Levi let out a breath of relief. For now, he didn't have to worry about his uncle. "I'm afraid the other omegas are worthless liabilities, though," he began, walking over to the sleeping group, Ymir being the only one starting to stir. She reflexively pulled Krista further under her, shooting Kenny a glare laced with warning. He smiled down at her before pulling out a gun, Levi nearly choking on his tongue as his mouth raced to join his brain. 

"Stop! They're valuable assets!" he yelled, all the omegas now awake, startled pheromones beginning to flood the area. Kenny only laughed. 

"Beautiful as they are, I'm in a hurry," he said in a low, dark tone as he aimed for Annie. Before he could shoot, though, a wave of molten fire blasted from Annie's mouth and Kenny stumbled backwards, falling right on his ass with a grunt. The three girls were all on their feet now, looking ready to pounce as Eren stared in frozen confusion, a mere deer in headlights. Levi frantically waved them off.

"Don't even think about it. He's not someone you want to fight," warned Levi, knowing his uncle would be a lot more interested in the three now. Kenny was laughing again, his voice a bit strained from the scuffle. 

"You're damned right about that, runt," he agreed, his hands rubbing his thighs. He looked to a begrudged Levi, the older man's smile only growing more and more sinister. "They all benders?" Levi nervously eyed Kenny as he slowly walked over to Eren, bending down and gently clutching his shoulders; it wasn't like the boy to remain so docile in situations like this, so Levi was looking him in the eye, trying to see if he registered what was going on. He'd had a rough few nights and he was starting to think a heat was on its way, which wasn't exactly the best timing. He needed to get some suppressants as soon as possible. 

"They are," he quietly answered, his hands softly running up and down Eren's shoulders. Another howling laugh echoed throughout the forrest. 

"Boy, oh, boy, oh, boy. Do you know who's been lookin' for these bitches?" he asked in an amused tone, tilting his hat downwards. 

"I've got a guess," he responded flatly, the girls standing behind the small man with matching glares. 

"Call me a bitch again," spat Ymir, her composure quickly dwindling. 

" _Bitch_." How old is this guy again?

"Kenny, shut the fuck up! Let's work together for christ sake," said Levi, almost yelling. He let out a loud, irritated sigh and pulled Eren to his feet, feeling worried as he swayed unevenly. Kenny eyed the boy suspiciously and looked to Levi. "The avatar state takes a lot out of him, it seems." That seemed to satisfy him. 

"Well, shit, I'll carry him myself if it means him recovering faster." He grinned then turned to look at the girls and held his hands in the air. "Hey, I'm sorry about that. Didn't realize you were the killin' kind of omega." The girls scoffed and muttered amongst themselves as Kenny walked over to Eren, Levi shifting in front of him without thinking. Kenny shrugged and turned back around. "Fine, then. Grab him and let's head to Sina." Kenny ushered the three bending omegas along with a hand wave and they reluctantly began following, keeping their goal in mind. Freedom. _Freedom_. If it meant following this asshole for now... so be it. 

"Starting at Sina?" mused Levi as he started trekking along behind his uncle, Eren mindlessly following, Levi's arm wrapped around a shoulder. "Don't you think it'd be easier to take out the smaller foes, first?" 

"If you think the Survey Corps will be the easier adversary, you're wrong, boy. The king is a gutless fool. He'll topple like a house of cards." They were already on a trail Levi had never seen before. He guessed Kenny must really know his way around here, what with all the robbing and murdering he used to do in the backwoods. 

"If you're saying Erwin will be a pain in the ass to beat, you're preaching to the choir. But the MPs have weapons meant to kill _human beings_ ," he said, his eyes shifting to Eren. "And probably benders." Kenny clicked his tongue but didn't turn around to face him.

"Oh, Levi. Who do you think the MPs are workin' for?" He cleaned his gun and shoved it back into his pocket, patting it affectionately. "'Cus it _ain't_ the king."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By the time the sun was setting, they had reached the streets of Rose and had decided to find somewhere to rest for the night. They needed it if they were planning on overthrowing a monarchy anytime soon. Unfortunately, Hange was currently in sina, so Levi didn't have access to any suppressants. If Eren's impending heat was the cause for his recent behavior, as Levi expected, the pheromones and hormones would be in full force within a matter of days, if that. They needed Eren at the top of his game if they were to be successful in their mission, so Levi was mentally preparing for talking his uncle into putting the mission off a week. Surely the bastard could wait _one more week_. 

For the night though, as much as it pained him, he opted to keep the omegas in the same room... without him. He couldn't risk his mind being affected by Eren right now. He'd keep his cool for the both of them. Even if it meant keeping a painful distance. That left him rooming with Kenny. 

"If you snore, I'll gut you in your sleep," said Levi, unbuttoning his shirt as he sat on one of the tiny beds against the wall. The room was really small and dingy, but it'd have to do for now. 

"You know I sleep with my eyes open, ya little shit." Kenny threw his hat to the floor and dropped all of his clothes right after. Gross. "I gotta wash off all this sweat and omega shit. I don't know how anyone stands to be around those smelly little fuckers for more than five minutes on a regular basis." Levi rolled his eyes. 

"You didn't seem to mind the smell back when I lived with you, _uncle Kenny_ ," he responded, tone sharp and full of judgement. The guy used to have a different omega in his bed every few days, Levi estimated. He'd fuck them and then toss them to the curb, leaving them to deal with pregnancies and poverty on the streets. Kenny laughed as he headed for the door to the bathroom.

"Guess I got my eyes on bigger sights nowadays, runt. Maybe you'll understand some day. If you ever get your head pulled out of that little whore's ass." Levi cut his eyes in warning and let out an irritated sigh. "You really gonna leave him alone with him smellin' like that? Seems like one of the girls was startin' to get pretty pungent, too."

"They're benders. And there are four of them. For once, I'm actually not worried." He laid on the bed, his eyes facing the ceiling. "How much longer are you going to make me be in the same room with your naked ass?"

"Come on now, shrimp. You know damn well I sleep naked," he said as he left the room with a towel slung over his shoulder.

" _Ugh_."


End file.
